Effect of Stage of Lactation and Parity Number on Daily Milk Yield among Indigenous and Crossbred Cows in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia

¹ Jimma Zone Agriculture and Livestock Development Office, Jimma, Oromia, Ethiopia

²Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, P.O. Box 307, Jimma, Oromia, Ethiopia

Received Date: October 06, 2026

Published Date: October 30, 2026

Citation: Abafita M, et al. (2026). Effect of Stage of Lactation and Parity Number on Daily Milk Yield among Indigenous and Crossbred Cows in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia. Mathews J Vet Sci. 10(4):117.

Copyrights: Abafita M, et al. © (2026).

ABSTRACT

Milk production depends on factors such as breed of cows, stage of lactation and number of lactation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of parity number and stage of lactation on daily milk yield (DMY) of indigenous and crossbred dairy cows reared under peri-urban and rural production systems in Jimma Zone, southwestern Ethiopia. A total of 32 milking cows with different lactation numbers and at different stages of lactation were selected for data collection. Of these, 16 were indigenous cows, while the remaining 16 were crossbred cows. The results showed that the average DMY significantly (P < 0.01) decreased with increasing stage of lactation. The mean DMY of indigenous cows during the early, mid, and late stages of lactation was 1.63 ± 0.10, 1.27 ± 0.08; 0.54 ± 0.06, 2.2 ± 0.10; and 1.89 ± 0.14, 1.00 ± 0.05 L/cow/day in rural and peri-urban production systems, respectively. The corresponding values for crossbred cows were 8.18 ± 0.30, 6.47 ± 0.27, 5.36 ± 0.10; and 9.06 ± 0.34, 8.00 ± 0.14, 6.45 ± 0.31 L/cow, respectively. The results also showed that the mean DMY was significantly (P < 0.01) influenced by the number of lactations (parity). The overall average DMY of indigenous cows in the first, second, and third parity was 1.25 ± 0.043, 1.43 ± 0.01, and 1.55 ± 0.057 L/cow, respectively, in peri-urban and rural production systems, while the corresponding values for crossbred cows were 6.88 ± 0.098, 7.29 ± 0.08, and 7.60 ± 0.084 L/cow/day, respectively. The highest mean daily milk yield was obtained in the third parity, while the lowest was observed in the first parity for both breeds and production systems. The mean DMY of both breeds during different stages of lactation and parity numbers was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in the peri-urban production system than in the rural production system. Based on these findings, parity order and stages of lactation significantly influenced the DMY of both indigenous and crossbred dairy cows. In addition, the production system had a significant effect on milk yield. It could be concluded that parity and stage of lactation should be considered when designing nutritional interventions aimed at improving milk yield in lactating cows.

Keywords: Dairy Cows, Crossbred, Indigenous, Parity, Daily Milk Yield, Stages of Lactation