Performance of Khillar cattle under rural management condition

Abstract

Data on 5351 Khillar animals from 60 randomly selected villages from Satara, Sangali and Solapur districts of Western Maharashtra were used for present study. The information on reproduction and production traits as well as draughtability of bullocks was collected from the fanners. For assessing milk production potential of cows, milk was recorded once in a month. Average age at first mating, age at first calving and average calving interval were recorded to be 40.92rt0.13 months, 49.39k0.13 months and 505.59~1.00 days, respectively. On an average 1.43k0.01 services per conception were required. Out of 1106 cows in milk recording, 925 cows were actually milked by the owners and 181 cows were either not milked or allowed to be suckled by young ones. Overall milk production was observed as 2.42k0.02 litres per day with average fat percentage as 4.22k0.04 for an average lactation length 189.2620.88 days. On an average 7.1820.02 h work was taken by farmers per day in breeding tract (ranging from 6.24k0.05 h in Solapur district to 7.89k0.04 h in Satara). For ploughing of one-acre of land, an average time 9.72~0.03 h were required by Khillar bullocks. Khillar bullocks travel a distance up to 18.331t0.15 km in a day with average 1304.241t15.33 kg loads in a cart.