Milk Production and Reproduction Performance of Baggara Cattle Raised Under Extensive and Semi- Extensive Systems in South Kordofan State, Sudan

This study was conducted to evaluate milk production and reproduction of Baggara cattle in South Kordofan State. It also aimed at evaluating the composition of milk produced by Baggara cattle. Information about management practices was collected by a questionnaire and direct interviews with cattle owners. To evaluate the compositional content, 80 milk samples were collected from 8 different locations. The chemical composition (fat, SNF, protein and lactose) was estimated for milk samples were collected from cattle herds in semi- extensive system.The mean of herd size was 89.45 and 31.76 animals, for extensive and semi- extensive systems, respectively. The average milk production per cow per day was 1.882 kg in extensive system and 2.188 kg in semi- extensive system. Moreover, twice a day milking was the common practice in all the herds. All the cattle herders serviced their cows naturally. The age at first service was reported to be 42.13 and 42.62 months, while the age at first calving was 51.76 and 51.97 months, for herds in extensive and semi- extensive systems, respectively. Many herders serviced their cows in different seasons (27.5% during autumn and 43.8% during winter) in order to ensure milk production throughout the year, to provide regular income and to support householdʹs consumption and thereby enhancing food security. There were non significant (P > 0.05) differences between locations in milk composition (fat, SNF, protein and lactose) and density.