MVSc

The present work is a study on the association
between body weights, lactation milk yield and age at first
calving in Vechur and other dwarf desi cattle maintained at
Kerala Agricultural University. This information can be utilized
in the selection programme to evolve a small cow weighing
around 125kg and yielding 800 kg milk per lactation.
The average body weights at birth, three, six, nine,
twelve months and at adult stage for males of Vechur were
11.2 ± 0.2 kg, 28.7 ± 0.7 kg, 44.2 ± 0.8kg, 63.9 ± 4.0 kg, 76.1 ± 1.9
kg, 173.6 ± 6.9 kg and those for Kasargod, 11.1 ± 0.3 kg,
33.5 ± 3.0 kg, 49.5 ± 4.6 kg, 80.4 ± 6.8 kg, 86.8 ± 11.2 kg and
194?"3 ± 19.9 kg respectively. The corresponding estimates for
females of Vechur were 10.2 ± 0.2 kg, 28.3 ± 0.7 kg, 43.3 ± 0.8 kg
52.7 ± 1.3 kg, 69.5 ± 1.2 kg and 138.5 ± 2.3 kg and those for
Kasargod, 9.5 ± 0.4 kg, 29.1 ± 1.8 kg, 49.5 ± 2.7 kg, 54.3 ± 3.0 kg,
61.1 ± 3.8 kg and 147.7 ± 5.1 kg respectively.
The average gain in weight for the four periods i.e.,
months 0-3, 3-6, 6-9 and 9 -6;12 when expressed as a percentage
of initial weight for males of Vechur were 149.0, 54.7, 39.7, 25.3
and those for Kasargod, 198.4, 62.5, 59.5, 17.0 per cent
respectively. The corresponding estimates for the females of

Vechur were 178.1, 55,8, 31.8, 27.1 and those for Kasargod,
169.1, 58.4, 20.0, 13.3 per cent respectively.
Male calves of Vechur gained 6.7 times and those of
Kasargod 7.8 times the birth weight by twelve months of age.
I
Males and females differed in body weight only at
adult stage. Between breeds, male calves at nine months and
female calves at twelve months differed.
The average age at first calving and lactation milk
yield of Vechur were 1080.3 ± 33.6 and 579.6 ± 35.7 kg and those
of Kasargod were 1147.5 ± 68.0 days and 298.3 ± 35.6 kg
respectively. The means for milk yield differed significantly.
Weight at three months had a heritability of 0.61
and adult body weight, 0.81 in Vechur. The heritability for milk
yield and age at first calving were 0.1 and 0.06 respectively.
Estimation of phenotypic correlations in Vechur
revealed that birth weight had a correlation of 0.446 with twelve
months weight. Body weights at the adjacent stages had
correlations ranging from 0.36-0.77. Age at first calving had
correlation only with weight at nine months (0.668) and milk
yield had only with adult body weight (0.406),
11

In Kasargod, body weight at different stages upto 12
. months had correlations around 0.8 but not with adult body
weight. Adult body weight and milk yield were found to have a
correlation of 0.918.
Genetic correlation In Vechur for weight at three
months and adult weight was 0.683, but that between adult
weight and milk yield was not significant.
The annual genetic gain from selection was
estimated to be -4.35 kg and 12.968 kg for adult body weight and
lactation milk yield respectively. Considering a take off time of
five years, it would be possible to achieve the target of 800 kg
per lactation from the present 579.5 kg, in a time period of 22
years.
Vechur is the smallest breed not only of India, but
probably of the wor ld is the highest milk yielder among the very
light breeds with the lowest age at first calving among all Indian
breeds. Kasargod males have the highest growth rate upto one
year among all Indian breeds.
The potential of the Vechur cow for milk and the
Kasargod bull calf for meat can be advantageously utilized at
present and improved with selection in the future.