Exploratory study of growth performance of Harar, Ogaden, Arsi, and Jersey × Horro crossbred bulls fed corn silage based finishing diet

Figures & data

Table 1. Chemical composition (% on DM basis) of concentrate and roughage offered to experimental cattle breeds.

Ingredients	DM	CP	Ash	NDF	ADF	ADL
Noug cake	92.05	31.41	8.76	46.22	28.24	6.89
Maize grain	88.34	12.97	0.74	36.99	4.67	2.93
Wheat bran	88.78	22.79	6.12	60.81	15.62	5.98
Corn silage	23.56	8.77	6.22	81.40	49.72	5.63
Grass hay	96.45	11.73	7.95	81.27	45.47	13.60

DM: dry matter; CP: crude protein; NDF: neutral detergent fiber; ADF: acid detergent fiber; ADL: acid detergent lignin.

Table 2. Live body weight (kg) of cattle breeds measured on six consecutive times or feeding periods (t₁₅–t₉₀) post initial body weight (IBW) recording.

DT***	Cattle Breeds
	Arsi	Harar	Ogaden	Jersey × Horro
t15	136.00^c (2.09)	164.33^b (2.97)	227.00^a (7.89)	160.67^b (13.18)
t30	142.33^c (1.46)	171.67^b (3.53)	239.67^a (5.24)	167.67^b (13.40)
t45	148.67^c (2.34)	182.67^b (5.05)	248.0^a (8.55)	174.67^b (15.86)
t60	158.67^c (2.91)	197.00^b (4.05)	260.33^a (7.70)	185.67^b (15.45)
t75	165.00^c (2.89)	207.67^b (5.05)	269.00^a (9.62)	194.67^b (14.88)
t90	172.67^c (5.21)	216.00^b (8.01)	275.00^a (11.08)	198.67^b (15.36)

* $\overline{y} (\mathit{\text{SE}})$ = mean and standard error; ***DT = days-on-test or length of feeding periods, implies the number of days elapsed post initial body weight (IBW) recording at the start of the test. ^a,b,cMeans in the same row with different superscript letters differ significantly at p < 0.05.

Table 3. Change in body weight (kg) of cattle breeds measured on six consecutive times or feeding periods (t₁₅–t₉₀) post initial body weight (IBW) recording.

DT***	Cattle breeds
	Arsi	Harar	Ogaden	Jersey × Horro
t15	7.67^b (1.20)*	7.00^b (0.58)	8.67^a (1.20)	6.33^b (0.34)
t30	14.00^b (1.54)	14.33^b (3.34)	21.00^a (4.17)	13.33^b (3.94)
t45	20.33^c (3.76)	25.33^b (3.18)	29.33^a (7.43)	20.33^c (6.37)
t60	30.33^b (4.10)	39.67^a (1.86)	41.67^a (6.90)	31.33^b (7.36)
t75	36.67^b (3.85)	50.33^a (3.18)	50.33^a (8.36)	40.33^b (6.37)
t90	44.33^b (5.85)	58.67^a (6.57)	56.33^a (8.88)	44.33^b (6.34)

* $\overline{y} (\mathit{\text{SE}})$ = mean and standard error; ***DT = days-on-test or length of feeding period, implies the number of days elapsed post initial body weight (IBW) recording at the start of the test. ^a,b,cMeans in the same row with different superscript letters differ significantly at p < 0.05.

Table 4. Average daily weight gain/ADG (kg/head) of cattle breeds measured on six consecutive times or feeding periods (t₁₅–t₉₀) post initial body weight (IBW) recording.

DT***	Cattle breed-group
	Arsi	Harar	Ogaden	Jersey × Horro
t15	0.51^b (0.08)	0.47^b (0.04)	0.58^a (0.08)	0.42^b (0.02)
t30	0.47^b (0.05)	0.48^b (0.11)	0.70^a (0.14)	0.44^b (0.13)
t45	0.45^b (0.08)	0.56^a (0.07)	0.65^a (0.17)	0.45^b (0.14)
t60	0.51^b (0.07)	0.66^a (0.03)	0.69^a (0.12)	0.52^b (0.12)
t75	0.49^b (0.05)	0.67^a (0.04)	0.67^a (0.11)	0.54^b (0.09)
t90	0.49^b (0.06)	0.65^a (0.08)	0.63^a (0.10)	0.49^b (0.07)

* $\overline{y} (\mathit{\text{SE}})$ = mean and standard error; ***DT = days-on-test or length of feeding period, implies the number of days elapsed post IBW recording at the start of the test. ^a,b,cMeans in the same row with different superscript letters differ significantly at p < 0.05.

Table 5. Body condition scores (BCS) and feed conversion efficiency of Arsi, Jersey × Horro crossbred, Harar, and Ogaden cattle breeds.

Body condition scores	Arsi	Harar	Jersey × Horro	Ogaden	Overall Mean ± SE	p-Value
	LSmeans ± SE
Initial body condition (score)	3.33 ± 0.17^c	4.17 ± 0.17^b	3.83 ± 0.17^bc	4.83 ± 0.17^a	4.04 ± 0.17	0.001
Final body condition (score)	5.17 ± 0.17^c	6.33 ± 0.17^ab	5.83 ± 0.44^bc	7.17 ± 0.33^a	6.13 ± 0.25	0.009
Change in body condition (score)	1.83 ± 0.33	2.17 ± 0.17	2.00 ± 0.29	2.33 ± 0.44	2.08 ± 0.15	0.728
Change in body weight (kg)	44.33 ± 2.84	58.67 ± 3.57	44.33 ± 3.33	56.33 ± 4.88	50.92 ± 3.0	0.735
Change in body weight to condition score (kg)	24.58 ± 1.11	27.80 ± 2.78	22.38 ± 1.84	28.09 ± 5.69	25.71 ± 2.64	0.886
FCE	0.215 ± 0.03	0.231 ± 0.02	0.183 ± 0.02	0.164 ± 0.02	0.199 ± 0.04	0.272
FCR	4.78 ± 0.54	4.41 ± 0.46	5.63 ± 0.72	6.33 ± 0.82	5.29 ± 1.13	0.234

^{a –c}Means with different superscript letters within each row are significantly different at p < 0.05. SE is an abbreviation for standard error. FCE and FCR are abbreviations for feed conversion efficiency and ratio, respectively.

Table 6. Linear body measurements of Arsi, Jersey × Horro crossbred, Harar, and Ogaden cattle breeds.

Linear body measurement (cm)	Arsi	Harar		Jersey × Horro		Ogaden	Overall Mean ± SE	p-Value
	LSmeans ± SE
Initial heart girth	126.00 ± 1.00^c	134.00 ± 3.06^b	134.33 ± 2.19^b		147.33 ± 1.86^a		135.42 ± 2.48	0.001
Final heart girth	132.67 ± 1.76^c	141.67 ± 0.88^b	141.00 ± 3.51^b		160.33 ± 2.33^a		143.92 ± 3.21	0.001
Change in heart girth	6.67 ± 1.86	7.67 ± 2.33	6.67 ± 1.33		13.00 ± 0.58		8.50 ± 1.06	0.076
Initial body height	96.33 ± 0.88	107.0 ± 4.58	107.67 ± 6.77		108.0 ± 3.21		104.75 ± 2.39	0.259
Final body height	102.67 ± 0.60	118.00 ± 7.91	116.50 ± 7.08		120.67 ± 3.19		114.46 ± 3.16	0.178
Change in body height	6.33 ± 1.48	11.0 ± 3.33	8.83 ± 2.20		12.67 ± 2.46		9.71 ± 1.27	0.356
Initial body Length	106.33 ± 2.96	110.33 ± 3.67	115.67 ± 2.33		117.67 ± 0.88		112.50 ± 1.76	0.061
Final body Length	115.33 ± 1.86^c	122.33 ± 2.6bc	124.33 ± 2.73^b		132.33 ± 2.33^a		123.58 ± 2.09	0.007
Change in body Length	9.00 ± 1.15	12.00 ± 2.08	8.67 ± 2.19		14.67 ± 1.45		11.08 ± 1.05	0.130
Initial wither height	93.33 ± 0.67^c	97.33 ± 0.88^b	99.33 ± 1.33^b		105.0 ± 1.73^a		98.75 ± 1.37	0.001
Final wither height	100.83 ± 1.01^c	106.17 ± 1.3bc	110.33 ± 2.96^b		116.67 ± 0.88^a		108.5 ± 1.90	0.001
Change in wither height	7.50 ± 0.50	8.83 ± 1.83	11.00 ± 1.73		11.67 ± 2.60		9.75 ± 0.93	0.401

^{a –c}Means with different superscript letters within each row are significantly different at p < 0.05. SE is an abbreviation for standard error.

Table 7. Linear regression equation for prediction of live body weight from linear body measurements and body condition score.

Prediction equation	R^2	MSE	p-Value
Y= −334.37 + 3.28 (Heart girth)	94.07	10.30	<.001
Y= −438.91 + 5.29 (Body length)	82.50	18.53	<.001
Y= −274.55 + 4.52 (Wither height)	49.44	31.54	0.011
Y = 12.65 + 1.77 (Body height)	21.13	39.39	0.132
Y= −334.37 + 3.28 (Heart girth) + 0.124 (Body height) − 1.09 (Wither height) + 1.47 (Body length)	94.31	10.08	<.001
Y= −316.97 + 3.70 (Heart girth) (Optimal prediction equation)	94.07	10.30	<.001
Y= −35.23 + 40.95 (Body condition score)	73.00	23.05	0.001
Y= −313.74 + 6.59 (Body condition) + 2.81 (Heart girth) −0.053 (Body height) −0.86 (Wither height) + 1.48 (Body length)	96.78	10.28	0.001
Y= −294.32 + 6.62 (Body condition) + 3.26 (Heart girth)	95.18	10.26	<.001
Y= −6.29 + 44.25 (Body condition) −0.429 (Body height)	73.76	23.95	0.002
Y= −344.41 + 19.73 (Body condition)+ 3.55 (Body length)	90.56	14.36	<.001
Y= −200.37 + 32.25 (Body condition)+2.01 (Wither height)	79.52	21.16	<0.001

* Optimal prediction equation was computed after removing the non-significant variables from the model.

Table 8. Partial cost-benefit analysis of fattening Arsi, Jersey × Horro crossbred, Harar, and Ogaden cattle breeds fed corn silage based similar finishing diet.

Cost-benefit variables	Cattle Breeds
	Arsi	Harar	Jersey × Horro	Ogaden
Initial purchase cost/bull (ETB)	9733.33	10833.33	10100.00	14000.00
Feed cost/bull (ETB)	3840.37	4435.92	4563.23	6112.75
Labour cost/bull (ETB)	500.00	500.00	500.00	500.00
Drug cost/bull (ETB)	200.00	200.00	200.00	200.00
Total variable cost/bull (ETB)	14,273.70	15,969.25	15,363.23	20,812.75
Total Gross revenue/bull (ETB)	15,766.67	20,166.67	20,200.00	28,200.00
Net revenue/bull (ETB)	1492.97	4197.42	4836.77	7387.25

* Only variable costs were considered for this cost-benefit analysis of fattening. ETB is an abbreviation for Ethiopian Birr (1 ETB = 0.0164 EUR).

Data availability statement

Data will be available based upon reasonable request data policy.