Cow-calf management practices in Mexico: Dual-purpose cattle
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Abstract
This study characterized management practices of dual-purpose (DP) cattle production systems across Mexico through a structured questionnaire answered by 996 farmers. The predominant cattle type in DP operations was European dairy × Zebu crossbreeds (54.7 %). However, the prevalence of these cattle varied between regions, being most common in the tropics, with 78 % and 56 % in the humid and dry tropics, respectively. In contrast, farmers in temperate climates prefer European beef × Zebu crossbreeds (63.1 %). Weaned calves and dairy products were the primary goods produced by DP systems. More operations sell raw milk in temperate climates than in arid and tropical regions (P < 0.05). Ninety-one percent of DP farms milk their cows manually, while only 8.6 % use mechanical milking. Cows are milked once daily in 93 % of farms. The main calf-rearing system involves allowing the calf to suckle (95.1 %), with only 4.9 % of operations using artificial methods. Milk letdown was most frequently induced by the calf (73.2 %), but 13.9 % of operations used oxytocin stimulation. Only 6.3 % of operations had milk cooling systems. Regarding sanitary practices, 73.5 % of farms clean cow teats prior to milking. Teat dipping after milking was low (10.5 %), owing to the calf feeding on remnant milk. Also, only 18 % of DP operations routinely perform mastitis tests. Given the importance of dual-purpose systems for local economies, improvements in market integration, technical assistance, and technology adoption are crucial for the future development of this sector.
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References
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