Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Growth and Reproductive Performance Traits and Designing Conservation Strategies for Fogera Cattle Breed Assemu Tesfa*I,2, Dilip Kumar', Solomon Abegaz' and Getinet Mekuriaw':' 'Andassa Livestock Research Center, P.O.Box 27 Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 2Bahir Dar University Colleges of Agriculture and Environmental Science, P.O.Box 5501 Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 3Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI), P.O.Box 30726 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and "lnternational Livestock Research Institute (lLRI), P.O.Box 5689 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia The study was initiated to estimate the genetic and non-genetic parameters of growth and reproductive traits and designing conservation strategies for Fogera cattle breed. The study was conducted in Fogera, Dera and Bahir Dar Zuria districts as well as Andassa Livestock Research Center of Amhara region. Two types of data viz. on-station and on-farm was used for the study. The questioner data targeting to on-farm reproductive performance of the breed was collected during 2014. A total of 150 households were purposively selected and interviewed from five peasant association. Whereas the on-station data covers the period from 1992 to 2013 (a total of 22 years) that was collected from farm records of the center. Two meetings (one national and one regional) were conducted to identify the major actors and their tasks on the conservation strategy. The fixed effects for the on-station data were birth year, season, sex, parity, mating type and dam source, while district, parity and age of the dam were used for the on-farm data. A general linear model procedure of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, 2002) was used to analyse the performance data. Genetic parameters (heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations) were estimated with ASREML software. The least squares mean (LSM) and standard errors (SE) for on-station data of birth and weaning weight were 21. 35±0. 09 and 102. 16±0. 77kg, respectively; whereas age at first service, age at first calving, calving interval and number of service per consumption were 38. 93±0. 72 month, 51.76 ± 0.72 month, 19.53±0.32 month and 1.17±0.01, respectively. The genetic parameter estimate was done for birth and weaning weight by four animal models those fit direct, maternal and permanent environment as a random effect with sex, season and year as fixed effects. The direct heritability estimate for birth and weaning weight of the current study with the inclusion of all random effects was 0.2088±0.0695and 0.1813±0.0539, respectively. The phenotypic and genetic correlation between BW and WW was O.0613±0. 0075 and O.0712±0. 0343, respectively. The LSM±SE for on-farm performance of Fogera cattle breed for AFS, AFC, Cl and NSC was report . '!'Z4>rtiL05month, 51.4±0.05 month, l\H( """"i'~" . ~,l' '/<\\t.m. 1,e" I .."" IX .•..• - ••!'. - _~ r, 'I,.. "- "-~'v/ ~.•.•.•.~< • '~~. AY...>~-7~~~~'.:·<¥. ~.: t, ! '* I ,;;'1".'- ".•~~", 1\ \\ . ..., ~ .( ;, \~.". 'v:) \, .. "J..'i' .... ".•.... i/ \~. "":,,>'1' -''\ ". . •• ,," ~I \"0, ,--.... f'tt ~'). 1'-:6. ~tf ~~~". ..••.•. ~o ....1:.1 •.•. ';,\,'b <?0' ," 1,;- .. ~~;!~i~~~~~~~ ~--.' 21.18±O.70 month and 1.42±O.05, respectively. Conservation strategy for the Fogera cattle breed was need due to the inter-related problems of the breed production environment, presence of unique traits of the breed, decreasing population trend of the breed, and positive attitudes of farmers to keep the breed Closed breeding scheme, due to absence of molecular evidence for the level of admixture of the breed with other zebu breeds was unknown and small number of bull source at nucleus herd of ALRC was developed with community based in-situ conservation for adoption strategy. Regional livestock agency, Institute of Biodiversity Conservation, Universities (Bahir Dar and Debre Tabor University), Zonal and district agricultural offices were identified and mandated to work together with ALRC on the conservation and improvement strategy of the breed The on-station performance of the breed shows better result compared with the on-farm performance, which indicates the presence of better genetic makeup of the breed conserved at the center compared with the inter-related problems as well as genetic admixture of the breed as reported by farmers. Recommendations on better participations of stake holders on the conservation strategy both on finance, material and knowledge support as summarized in the meeting should be assured and stakeholders should honestly participate in the conservation strategy. Key words: Conservation strategies, Fogera breed, Genetic parameter, Non-genetic parameter and Reproductive performance