Programmes and Units:
DAIRY RESEARCH PROGRAMME
Objectives
- To understand the dairy animal
and thus improve her productivity capacity in milk production.
- To breed milking cows of proven abilities for dissemination to Nigerian farmers to upgrade their milking herds for sustainable national milk production.
The research activities
The research activities of the programme include the following:
- To improve the productive capability
of Nigerian indigenous breeds of cattle through:
breeding, evaluation selection and crossbreeding with both indigenous and exotic breeds for optimum milk production. - Utilization of improved feed resources
through grazing on improved forages, agro-industrial by-products, whole
grains, crop residues and highly nutritive concentrates.
fertility testing and breed health management using natural and hormonal profile. - Characterization of various dairy production systems to include small, median and large scale during production systems.
- Better management of dairy calves, young stock, dairy cows (pregnant, pre and post partum, milking, dry one) and their various housing technologies.
- Development and evaluation of modern dairy processing technologies to improve milk quality through better evaluation of traditional dairy products and quality control.
- Study of channels of marketing
and distribution of milk, milk products and dairy animals (breeding
bulls, cull cows, fattened bulls) for effective milk collection and
marketing.
MAJOR RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS
The following are some of the notable achievements of the Programme:
a. Upgrading of the milk productivity of indigenous cattle through
crossbreeding with exotic cattle has produced crossbred animals with a
genetic potential between 70-100 per cent higher milk yield than the indigenous
breeds (see Table).
b. Formulation and popularization of dairy ration options
based on locally available agro- industrial by-products
for optimum milk production.
c. Development of practical for improving the nutritive value and
profitability/acceptability of forages and crop residues for smallholder
dairy production system.
d. Improvement and development of a yoghurt churning equipment,
which has improved the quality (consistency, flavour and shelf life) of
yoghurt.
e. Improved production of Bunaji cows through supplementation with
legumes (groundnut haulms) especially in the dry season.
f. Sustainable generation and distribution of dairy crossbreed
breeding bulls to farmers for genetic improvement of farmers' herds.
g. Development of procedures for estimating genetic progress and
factors affecting lactation curves for milk production in Nigeria.
h. Characterization of factors affecting the reproductive performance
of dairy cattle in Nigeria.
Remedies have been identified and
passed on to farmers.
i. Dissemination of dairy information and technologies through
such avenues as training workshops, dairy farms establishment and advice,
production guides/leaflets.
| BREED |
Age at first calving (Months) | Milk yield per location (kg) | Lactation length (days) | Average milk yield per day (kg) | Calving % | Calving interval (days) | |
| Bunaji Sokoto Gudali Wadara Adamawa Gudali ½ Friesian ½ Bunaji ¼ Friesian (75%) 7/8 Friesian (87.5%) Friesian (100%) |
50.9 48.9 50.2 49.6 33.2 32.5 31.2 28.7 |
1115 1143 1217 986 1988 1850 2051 2490 |
254 266 259 249 244 264 281 295 |
4.0 4.3 4.7 4.3 6.9 7.0 7.2 8.4 |
83.3 82.2 88.8 84.1 95.6 93.7 93.1 96.0 |
383 |
|