Effect of Cattle Breed on Milk Composition in the same Management Conditions

This study evaluated the effect of bovine breed on milk composition under the same environmental conditions. Thirty two dairy cattle breeds of Holstein Friesian, Ethiopian Ogaden cattle, Jersey x Horro crosses, and Holstein Friesian x Jersey x Horro crosses were used in the study. Eight cows in early lactation stage and with the same parity were purposively selected from each breed and monitored for 60 days. Animals were maintained under intensive systems and all consumed on the same diet. 100ml milk samples collected three times every twenty days from each milking cows and separate analysis were done for each breed in duplicate using a MilkoScanTM FTl to determine fat, protein, ash, water, SNF), TS, lactose, and MUN. The major content of milk for breed in this study is within the range for the milk composition standard requirement for bovine. The breed had a significant effect on water (p ≤ 0.0001), Protein (p ≤ 0.05), TS (p ≤ 0.05), fat (p ≤ 0.05), MUN (p ≤ 0.001) and ash (p ≤ 0.0001) content of milk. The study finding revealed that the milk content of Holstein Frisian at 50 percent blood level cross with 25 percent Horro and 25 percent Jersey cattle was comparable to the milk content of Ethiopian indigenous pure Ogaden cattle and Jersey and Horro crosses at 50 percent blood levels. This study suggesting that crossbreeding schemes of indigenous Horro cattle breeds with Holstein and Jersey cows at different blood level had a significant effect on milk content of bovine except lactose, FFA and SNF. Further studies are needed to better understand of genetic aspects of other cross breed Ethiopian indigenous cattle on milk composition.