Environmental Effects on Milk Yields and Body Weights of Tidili Cattle in Morocco

Abstract

The analysis concerned 333 milk secretions and 172 to 402 weights at birth, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of Tidili cattle at Timadline station, Ouarzazate. Data were collected from 1988 to 2000 from cows of different parities. The milk yield during 305 days of lactation of cows hand milked without their calves averaged 933 kg. Average weights of calves at birth, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months were 16.2, 34.0, 54.4, 96.4, 141.9 and 195.3 kg, respectively. The milk yield was affected by the parity, but not by the calving season. Weights at different ages were influenced by the calf sex and in some cases by the dam parity and birth season. It was concluded that more data were necessary in order to better estimate environmental effects and genetic parameters.