Deterministic simulation of alternative breeding objectives and schemes for purebred cattle in Kenya
- Publication Type
- Contribution to conference
- Authors
- Kahi,A.K.; Nitter,G.; Gall,C.F.
- Year of publication
- 2002
- Published in
- Proceedings of the 8th KARI Scientific Conference
- Editor
- Kenya Agricultural Research Institute
- Page (from - to)
- nnb
- Conference name
- 8th KARI Scientific Conference
- Conference location
- Nairobi. Kenya.
- Conference date
- 13th - 17th November 2002
Alternative breeding objectives and schemes for milk production were evaluated for their economic efficiency using deterministic simulation. A two-tier open nucleus breeding scheme and a young bull system (YBS) were assumed with intensive recording and 100 % artificial insemination (AI) in the nucleus and 35 % AI in the commercial population, which was assumed to comprise of the smallholder herds. Since most production systems are dual purpose, breeding objectives were defined, which represented different scenarios. These objectives represented the present (objective 1 - dual purpose), smallholder (objective 2 - dual purpose with limited mature live weight) and future production situations (objective 3 - dual purpose with fat based milk price). Breeding objectives differed in the traits included and their economic values while the breeding schemes differed in the records available for use as selection criteria as well as in the costs and investment parameters. Since the main question for establishing a breeding and recording programme is that of efficiency of investment, the monetary genetic response and profit per cow in the population were used as evaluation criteria. All breeding objectives and schemes realized profits. The objectives and schemes that ranked highly for annual monetary genetic response and total return per cow did not rank the same in profit per cow in all cases. In objective 3, the scheme that assumed records on fat yield (FY) were available for use as selection criterion and that, which assumed no records on FY, differed very little in profit per cow (approximately 4 %). Therefore, under the current production and marketing conditions, a breeding scheme that requires measuring of the fat content does not seem to be justified from an economic point of view. There is evidence that a well-organised breeding programme utilizing an open nucleus, a YBS and the smallholder farms as the commercial population could sustain itself.