A breed is a race or variety related by descent and similarity in certain distinguishable characteristics. More than 250 breeds of cattle are recognized throughout the World.

In Africa there are two main races of Cattle: Bos indicus (cattle with humps) including the Boran, Sahiwal and Zebu cows (indigenous) and the Bos taurus (exotic or imported breeds). The two races can cross breed, and the crosses can be very productive both in terms of growth rates for beef, improved milk production as well as disease resistance.

Kenya is a home to a wide range of cattle genotypes. Within the East and Central Africa region, Kenya has the highest number of exotic dairy cattle. As for indigenous breeds, Kenya also ranks high with Ethiopia and Sudan topping the list of African countries with the highest population of indigenous cattle breeds.

The exact origins of the breed are difficult to determine but it is known that in the 18th century, herds of small black-and-white cattle were brought into northern Holland and Friesland from northern Jutland to replace animals that had fallen victim to disease and flooding. These animals were crossed with the existing Dutch cattle and formed the basis of the Friesian.
Before the establishment of the Netherlands herd book in 1873 and the Friesland herd book in 1879, both black-pied and red-pied animals were maintained separately. The preference for black-pied cattle, particularly in the United States, led to the further segregation of red-pied animals and presently this colour variation only exists in small number in the Netherlands.

Production levels of this breed declined during the 1950's when excessive emphasis was placed on correct colour pattern. During the 1970's Holsteins were imported from the United States and used to improve the milk production. This resulted in larger animals with a more pronounced dairy characteristics. The mixing of these two breeds is such that now many Friesians are 25% to 75% Holstein.

The modern Friesian is pre-eminently a grazing animal, well able to sustain itself over much lactation, on both low lying and upland grassland, being developed by selective breeding over the last 100 years. Some outstanding examples of the breed have 12 to 15 lactations to their credit, emphasizing their inherent natural fecundity. In response to demand, protein percentages have been raised across the breed and herd protein levels of 3.4% to 3.5% are not uncommon.

Typical characteristics include:

Friesians and their crossbreeds are predominant in Kenya particularly in Central Kenya and Central Rift Valley. The farms where they can be found include:

The Ayrshire breed originated from in the county of Ayr in Scotland, prior to 1800. The breed was introduced to Kenya in 1908 from South Africa. It has been developed over the last century through inputs of bloodlines from Britain, South Africa, Sweden, New-Zealand, Canada and USA.

Typical characteristics include:

Advantages:

Farms keeping Ayrshire in Kenya (officially registered):

The Guernsey originated on the small Isle of Guernsey, situated in the English Channel just off the coast of France. There is no concrete evidence as to the development of the Guernsey before the 19th Century but there may be some truth in the theory that the Isigny cattle of Normandy and the Froment du Léon breed from Brittany were ancestral relatives of the modern Guernsey.

Farms keeping Guernsey in Kenya (options):

Despite considerable research, nothing definite is known as to the actual origin of the cattle first brought to Jersey Island. Most research agrees that the Jersey probably originated from the adjacent coast of France, where in Normandy and Brittany cattle resembling Jerseys are found.

A few contacts/farms where Jersey can be found in Kenya are:

Purpose: Meat and milk production
Average body size: Large (average live-weight 750 kg)
Description: Body color brown

1. High production potential with good management and good feeding

1. Susceptible to tick borne diseases.
2. Only suitable for cool areas with year round quality fodder availability.
3. Potential milk yield: low to moderate (10-15 Liters/day).
4. High forage requirement

By careful selection and application of the strict standards of excellence of the Boran Cattle breeders Society, the Boran breed has been developed into an ideal beef animal suitable for the arid range areas to be found in many parts of the world.

The original strains of the breed came from Ethiopia and were adopted early in the 20th Century by commercial cattlemen in Laikipia, Machakos and the Rift Valley Districts of Kenya. The Boran society was formed in 1951 and its panel of inspectors continues to ensure that the breed progresses and keeps up to date with the demands of modern beef production. The society promotes exports of embryos world wide and semen is exported throughout the East African region.

The head is carried well, of medium length and slightly convex. Ears are small in comparison with the Indian breeds and not pendulous. Horns are generally short, round in cross- section and upright, but there is some variation in size and length. They can be 46 cm in circumference at the base and up to 84cm or more in length, measured on the outside curve, but this is exceptional. Polled animals are not uncommon and some animals have been selected for this condition.

The hump is well defined and thoracic; it is larger in the male than in the female. The Boran shows a surprisingly straight top line for a Zebu animal. The well developed hindquarters have frequently been remarked upon. The rump is long., wide and muscular in the male and the buttocks are well fleshed. Among Zebu breeds the Boran is outstanding in this character.

The Boran is generally vigorous and alert. Being accustomed to desert condition, it covers vast distances in search of grazing and water and in some areas is only watered on alternate days or on the third day.

In the view of the cattlemen, the first job of a cow is to produce a calf a year. Boran can meet this objective. It is acknowledged that the greatest attribute of the Boran is its fertility. Even under harsh conditions the Boran cow will continue to breed and rear calves and do this without punishing herself. One explanation for this high fertility is that the cow has relatively low body weight loss over the suckling period, thereby maintaining a good condition, thus able to conceive again.

Boran cattle live a long time. It is quite normal for 15 years old breeding cows to be sound mouthed and it is also on record that a 16 year old Boran bull is still producing high quality semen for artificial insemination.

Boran cattle are recognized as being generally quite, docile and easy to handle. This trait has developed over many generations of cattle living close to man.
The Boran cattle Breeders society makes docility a strait selection criterion and this feature has been recognised by Australian cattlemen who import Borans.

Average weight gains per day on grass & feedlot: Grass = 0.7 - 1.0 kg per day depending on grass quality. Feedlot = 1.3 kg per day depending on type of cross used (this was found at a recent trial at Marania Farm - Timau where using Boran cross Angus steers & heifers) . Trials in Nebraska, USA, show that the Boran and its crosses score consistently better than other Zebu breeds for meat tenderness, carcass marbling and rib eye area. Butchers in Kenya prefer Borans and their crosses for this reason.

True resistance to disease is a complicated matter. Recent studies of immunity to diseases in Zebu breeds are now becoming more widely known. For practical purpose the Boran has a useful degree of host resistance to ticks and from Australia it is reported that the breed is 'completely resistant to buffalo fly'. Borans are generally less affected by foot and mouth diseases than exotics and recover faster. It is also clear that the morbidity and mortality rates of East Cost Fever are lower in Boran than in Boss taurus breeds; the Boran being naturally more resistant.

Being an animals which in obliged to walk long distances, selection for perfect feet and leg conformation is necessary for registered cattle. Inspectors will not compromise on this point. Dark pigmentation and black points have become more sought after to satisfy pedigree criteria and export demands.

The herd instinct of the Boran makes it very easy to manage in bush country. They are noted for being able to 'graze on the trot' and they will always stay together. The Boran male and female share breed points, the sexes, however, show marked dimorphism - the female being notably small, whilst the male grows to a large size.

The cow has a well-carried udder with strong attachments and neat, small teats, in contrast to some Asian Zebu breeds. Boran heifers reach puberty at an average age of 385 days. She is an excellent mother, not only will she feed her calf so well that high weaning weights are attainable, but she guards against predators, and will never allow her calf to get lost in the bush. Calving problems hardly exist. Calves at birth weigh an average of 28 kg for males and females, 25 kg.

Boran cattle have developed adaptive traits of crucial importance for their survival. Some of these characters are - the ability to withstand periodic shortage of water and feed, ability to walk long distances in search of water and feed and ability to digest low quality feeds. The herd instinct of the Boran makes it easy to manage and survive in bush country. They will always stay together and can "graze on the trot".

The well-developed beef conformation shows up in carcase appraisals. The depth of eye muscle, marbling, even fat cover and ratio of hind to forequarter make the Boran difficult to beat, hence the preference of Kenya butchers for young, well-finished Boran steers.

Planned breeding programmes yield the best results when the breeder considers the individual production characteristics in cows and how they can be passed on to offspring. The breeder must also be able to match these characteristics to consumer requirements. In other words - what does your market demand?

In small herds inbreeding depression (in common language - inbreeding) is a very real danger for continued productivity of the livestock ventures. Inbreeding can lead to smaller animals, less productive animals, high incidences of deformities and low disease resistance among other undesirable characteristics.

By having a good breeding strategy such inbreeding can not only be totally avoided, but the opposite can be achieved namely higher productivity, better milk and meat yields, healthy animals with good disease resistance, just to mention a few of the most common goals for breeding strategies

Inbreeding may be defined as mating of individuals more closely related than the average relationship of the population.

Farm animals and birds are very sensitive to inbreeding, and usually full-sib matings can only be continued for a few generations because of a marked decrease in viability and fertility. Breeding within small populations, such as a herd or flock, without introduction of new animals from outside, leads automatically to a certain amount of inbreeding.

The decrease in fitness that results from such inbreeding is known as inbreeding depression.

All organisms, including the very best bull in any breed, have genetic traits that could be desirable or undesirable from a farmers perspective . The problem arises when two of the undesired traits are present in the same animal (one inherited from each parent. Imagine that this trait is present in a particular bull, and that bull is very popular (because he also has some desirable trait, such as superior milk production in daughters). As this bull is bred to many females, half of the resultant offspring would now carry the undesired trait possessed by that bull. If these individuals are mated to one another, then 25% of their offspring would have double the undesired trait (one from each parent), and another 50% would carry the undesired trait in their genetic base. In this extreme form of inbreeding, in just two generations the defect went from being expressed in one out of all the animals to one out of every four animals, with three-quarters of the animals now carrying the defect.

In farm mammals, each male may be used to serve a large number of females, and under such conditions the increase of the inbreeding coefficient per generation in a closed breeding unit can be estimated simply by dividing 100 by eight times the number of males used. Thus, when only one homebred sire is used, the decrease in heterozygosity (variability) in each generation is 12.5 percent.

When artificial insemination is used, a small number of sires again are used to serve a large number of females. Nevertheless, the reduction in heterozygosity may be relatively small in such cases, because many young sires are used for progeny testing, and several tested sires enter into service each year. The modern trend in artificial insemination is to use the tested sires for only relatively short periods of time, after which they are replaced with younger sires, which presumably have made even better records. Such rapid turnover in sires serves also to reduce the length of the generation interval in breeding programs.

When two lines are crossed, then any undesired traits present in one line but not in the other are masked (hidden) and there is typically a boost in the fitness of the offspring. This effect is known as heterosis or hybrid vigor, and is essentially the opposite of inbreeding. This effect even extends to crosses between breeds of cattle, which is why crossbreeding programs are popular (for producing cattle for beef operations, for instance). Essentially, one can get many of the benefits of two breeds of cattle (and other farm animals) in the first generation of a cross by using unrelated parent stock.

The cheapest way of making sure no inbreeding takes place is to:

1. Keep close breeding records of all animals in the herd
2. Make sure parents do not breed with offspring and
3. Siblings do not breed with each other
4. Use AI - carefully noting the name of the sire providing semen at each AI service next to the name of the cow in your diary, so that after some time you will have a record of the family tree of every individual. (see here)
5. Make sure the same sire semen is not used on his offspring.
6. Ask your AI provider to bring different origin semen over time.

Depending on your goals for breeding animals different breeding techniques can be used. The following is a brief overview of some breeding methodologies used by professional animal breeders. Most of them are not practical for most people, but for the dedicated animal breeder combinations can be used depending on the breeding strategy.

Distinct objectives are essential to a breeding plan. As we have seen above not only must inbreeding be avoided, but we should aim to improve our livestock breeds for better future profitability such as in:

1. Milk production
2. Better milk composition (depends on your market)
3. Good udder or body shape
4. Beef/meat production
5. Growth rate per month (also related to good nutrition)
6. Disease resistance
7. Color preference
8. Polled/non polled etc.

Both quantity and quality must go together for efficient production.

Genes determine the way animals look. For example the coat colour in cows is the phenotypic expression of the genes that regulate coat colour. The breeder can only plan according to the trait observed. Other genes determine whether the udder will be small or large, whether the animal has horns, the size of the body etc.

Some examples of simple breeding strategies we can mention:

1. To increase milk production in zebu cattle: This can be achieved by upgrading the Breed with a proven exotic dairy breed (jersyey, Guernsey, Friesian) upto the fourth generation or the larger and more productive Boran or Sahiwal cow depending on disease pressure in your area.

2. To increase disease resistance in exotic dairy breeds: Introduction of animals with better resistance to disease such as Boran or Sahiwal will improve the disease resistance of the dairy breeds. The cross bred offspring may take more after one parent than the other, but very good experinces have been had with such crosses.

3. Better performance within a breed: Look carefully at the pictures of sires offerd by the AI service provider to determine whether the proposed sire will add better body conformation to the animal offsprings. Some AI semen providers will supply pictures of offspring, with strengths highlighted. Or if natural breeding is practiced - exchange the bull if the offspring consistently have undesirable traits.

N/B: The successive offsprive from the initial/ subsequent crossing is the one used for successive matings and not the original dam.

Individuals selected must possess desireable characteristics which have good repeatability and heritability and will, therefore, be passed on to offspring. Selection aims to change the gene frequencies in order to improve the subsequent generations.
Selection may be direct or indirect. The direct method selects cows having the best expression of the trait to be improved. Indirect selection improves a trait by selecting cows with a related trait. The effectiveness of indirect selection depends upon the correlation between two traits. This is of great importance since animal breeding usually involves more than one trait. An example of indirect selection is given by high growth rate, where selection for this trait is likely to improve early maturity and slaughter weight and also the efficiency of feed conversion.

Selection of breeding animals is based on:

Then mates are assigned accordingly

The following methods are used in breeding:

The procedure was developed in the 1970's and 80's and used commercially in cattle. Many advances have been made through the years and the process has been modified for small ruminants, as well as other species. It is a commercially viable option in many livestock operations today.

The most important benefits of Embryo Transfer is increasing the number of offspring from a valuable dam. If you had a valuable female and bred her once a year, you should get 1 offspring per year on average. By flushing you could get 6 to 8 offspring (or more) per flush. And she could be flushed 2 to 3 times per year. Artificial insemination only propagates the genetics of the valued male; MOET propagates the female's genetics as well. MOET programs can be done using artificial insemination.

This is a book which contains all the proven animals, their parentage and how one can acquire them. For registered pedigree grade cattle, its best to consult the KSB (please link to KSB website).

When trading in breeding cattle, it is often found that registration with the Kenya stud book, will more than double the price of your animals. Buyers want to know the history of their breeding stock and how to choose the mates without resorting accidentally to inbreeding through AI, and they are willing to pay for this service. The Kenya stud book personel will also give advice on good breeding strategies suited to your situation.

Here is an extract from the Kenya stud book website: http://kenyadairy.com/supplier/8

Jan 2010: Jack Ouda, senior scientist KARI, Kenya and Infonet team

Nov 2011: Update by Andrew Marete, M.Sc. Animal Genetics and Infonet team