Improvement of milk production by artificial insemination

The typology of dairy cattle farms in Togo shows that the traditional type (39.4%) is the most representative, with a dominance of zebu cattle, including the Goudali breed, the best milk producer (2.47 ± 1.3 liters). The age at first calving (56.4 ± 6 months) and the calving-to-calving interval (21.30 ± 2.58 months) show the low fertility of these farms. The receptivity to artificial insemination was 85.18%. The Prid® Delta protocol allowed to obtain a response to estrus (92.81%). Artificial insemination on induced heat resulted in a calving rate of 47.1% and a gestation period of 9.38 ± 0.14 months. Finally, this biotechnology allowed a reduction of unproductive periods of 16 months for the age at first calving and 7 months for the calving-calving interval. The nutritional quality of the raw milks studied is satisfactory but the hygiene practiced in these farms needs improvement in order to reduce the contamination rate. Finally, the barymetric formula: y = 0.006z2 + 0.722x - 39.798 can be used to monitor the weight of growing crossbreds. This biotechnology then allows genetic improvement of milk production.