The effect of work on reproductive performance of Bali cattle under the oil palm plantation in Bengkulu

The integration of cattle under the oil palm plantation would beneficially support both livestock and plantation sector through its better income, optimum land use, labor efficiency, and better environment. In Bengkulu, the use of Bali cattle as Draught Animal Power (DAP) for carrying fresh fruit bunch (FFB) has proven to benefit both to the plant and livestock. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of work on reproductive performance in Bali cow. A total of 40 Bali cows are divided into two groups, Working and No-Working. The Working group was subjected to three kinds of day-to-day work; these were Work-1 (pulling cart from home to oil plantation), Work-2 (pulling cart with FFB from plantation to collection site) and Work-3 (pulling cart from plantation to home). Parameters measured were working regime (distance, speed, duration, and load) and reproductive performance (S/C, length of gestation, EPP, birth weight and calving interval). Results showed that the average of working regime of Work-1 and Work-3 were significantly lower (P