Evaluation of indigenous, exotic and crossbred cattle for beef production in a semi arid environment

The relative performance of Mashona, Nkone, Tuli (indigenous breeds), Afrikaner, all these being Sanga type, Charolais, Sussex (Bos Taurus), Brahman (Zebu) and several resultant crosses reared on range in a semi arid environment was assessed. The results showed that indigenous cattle are considerably more productive than exotic types, mainly due to their high calving rates (Mashona 73.6 percent, Nkone 66.7 percent and Tuli 69.4 percent) compared to Afrikaner 56.1 percent and Sussex 56.3 percent). The indigenous cows are well adapted to a harsh environment and they also have relatively low maintenance requirements compared to the larger framed exotics