To cite this paper: Melaku M., Zeleke M., Getinet M., Mengistie T., 2011. Reproductive Performances of Fogera Cattle at Metekel Cattle Breeding and Multiplication Ranch, North West Ethiopia. Online J. Anim. Feed Res., 1(3): 99-106. Journal homepage: http://www.ojafr.ir 99 Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research Volume 1, Issue 3: 99-106 (2011) ISSN 2228-7701 REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCES OF FOGERA CATTLE AT METEKEL CATTLE BREEDING AND MULTIPLICATION RANCH, NORTH WEST RTHIOPIA M. MENALE 1 , Z. MEKURIAW 2 , G. MEKURIAW 2 , M. TAYE 2 * 1 Woreta College of Agriculture, P.O.Box 06, Woreta, Ethiopia 2 Department of Animal Production and Technology, Bahir Dar University, P.O.Box 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia E-mail: mengistietaye@yahoo.com ABSTRACT: The study was conducted to evaluate the reproductive performance and to asses non- genetic factors affecting the reproductive performance of Fogera cattle breed kept at Metekel ranch. For this purpose data collected from 1996 to 2008 in the ranch were used. The data were analyzed using the general linear model procedures of statistical analysis system. The effect of mating system, parity of dam, year of birth and calving, season of birth and calving, sex of calf, and sire breed were considered as fixed effects for evaluating different reproductive parameters. The overall least square means for number of services per conception (NSP), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), gestation length (GL) and days open (DO) were 1.28±0.06 and 50.8±0.36 months, 587±5.44, 282±0.26 and 285±4.3 days, respectively. The number of services per conception was significantly (P<0.05) affected by mating system. Age at first calving was affected significantly (P<0.05) by year of birth. Calving interval was significantly influenced by parity of dam and season of calving (P<0.05) and year of calving (P<0.01). Gestation length was significantly affected by season of calving and breed of sire (P<0.01) and parity of dam (P<0.05) but not affected by sex of calf (P>0.05). Days open was significantly (P<0.01) affected by year of birth. From the present study, it can be concluded that the non-genetic factors had exerted significant effects on the reproductive performance of Fogera Cattle breed kept at ranch. Thus, to improve reproductive performance of the Fogera cattle breed, great effort should be made towards mitigating negative impacts of those non- genetic factors. Keywords: Age at first calving, calving interval, days open, Fogera cattle, gestation length INTRODUCTION Cattle are very important livestock species in the traditional mixed crop livestock production systems of Ethiopia by providing mainly drought power, a small amount of milk, meat usually when they retire and manure. The cattle population of Ethiopia, estimated at 47.57 million (CSA, 2008), are well adapted to the tropical environment producing and reproducing under stresses of high degree of temperature, high disease prevalence and low level of nutritional status. However, they are said to be low in milk and meat production. The Fogera cattle are among the 27 recognized indigenous cattle breeds in Ethiopia and it is found distributed around Lake Tana in south Gonder and west Gojjam zone of Amhara region, Ethiopia (Addisu et al., 2010). Though there is no objective data confirming their utility, they are called triple use; drought, milk and meat (Addisu et al., 2010). The population of Fogera cattle was estimated to be around 800,000 in 1980s (Alberro and Haile-Mariam, 1982) and 15,000 heads in 2000s (Gebeyehu et al., 2004). Phenotypicaly, they are characterised as large size and tall animals with long legs. Their identifiable coat color being white with black spots or