Artificial Insemination Performance and Estrus Synchronization in Smallholder Dairy Cattle in Horro Guduru Wollega Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

A study was conducted on artificial insemination (AI) performance and synchronization status in the Abay Choman and Jimma Ganati districts of Horro Guduru Wollega Zone from November 2021 to March 2022. Ninety-two respondents were randomly selected from six kebeles for interviews. The mean age at first service (AFS) was 41.45 months for pure Horro, 24.71 months for Holstein Friesian-Horro crossbreed, and 27.92 months for Jersey-Horro crossbreed. Calving interval (CI) was 20.93 months for the pure Horro breed, 13.81 months for the Holstein-Friesian-Horro crossbreed, and 15.08 months for the Jersey-Horro crossbreed. Lactation lengths (LL) were 8.88 months for Jersey-Horro crossbreeds, the highest (9.08 months) in Holstein Friesian-Horro, and lower (7.10 months) for pure Horro. Breeding methods included natural mating alone (3.2%), artificial insemination (AI) only (35.9%), and AI and natural mating (60.9%). The overall conception rate of conventional AI was 56.3% at 60+days post-pregnancy diagnosis. Low conception rates were linked to management issues, poor heat detection, and semen handling. Animal selection, training AI technicians, and farmer training programs to increase AI and synchronization efficiency are recommended. Journal of Science, Technology and Arts Research, Vol. 14 No. 3 (2025)