Demographic Parameters of a Domestic Cattle Herd in a Contagious-Bovine- Pleuropneumonia Infected Area of Ethiopian Highlands

Abstract

Demographic parameters of a cattle (Horro breed) herd in a rural highland district of Ethiopia (Boji, West Wellega) are described. Data were collected in the course of a herd-monitoring project on the spread of contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP). The mean age at first calving and calving rate (for females older than 4 years) in the monitored herds were estimated at 5.8 years and 0.37 year^-1, respectively. The annual natural mortalities were 17, 9 and 3% for calves (0 to 9 months old), subadults (> 9 months to 4 years) and adults (> 4 years), respectively. No effect of the herd status (CBPP-free or CBPP-infected) was observed on the mean mortality of weaned animals. A main feature of cattle management in the area was the common practice of animal lending between farmers (more than 35% of the adults in the monitored herds were loaned during the year), mainly for agricultural activities and manure. This practice may have had a major impact on the observed age structure of the cattle population.