Traditional art contest of sonok as an alternative selection for Madura cattle

• Main Author: Widi, T.S. Mastuti
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item PeerReviewed
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: Animal Production
• Online Access: https://repository.ugm.ac.id/273114/1/Tropentag%202010%20Proceeding.pdf; https://repository.ugm.ac.id/273114/
• Institution: Universitas Gadjah Mada

Madura cattle is one of prominent local cattle in Indonesia which was probably formed from 3 breeds, Bali, Ongole and Bos Taurus cattle. The uniformity of this breed was developed from tuft selection of Madura people, for hundreds years. Madura cattle are also embedded with cultural activities of Madura people. One of cultural event involving Madura cattle is Sonok contest which is aimed to traditionally select good heifer and cows. Cultural practices in keeping Sonok cattle and criteria applied to select it, can be considered for conservation Madura cattle. Madura people applied for certain characteristics to select Madura cattle which distinct them with their ancestors (Bali and Ongole cattle). The criteria for selection of Sonok cattle include: body conformation, body colour, existence of dewlap and hump, smear colour and back line colour. The aim of this study is to explore certain characteristics of Sonok cattle among different groups of age. In total 166 heads of Sonok cattle divided into 6 groups of age were observed for their exterior characteristics, namely, body colour, existence of dewlap, hump, smear colour around eyes, mouth and legs, and existence of the coloured back line. In total 106 heads of Sonok heifers and cows were observed for their body condition score (BCS). Mostly Sonok cattle in all of age groups are dark brown ( 63,86 %), have medium dewlap (66,27 %) and small hump ( 60,84 %), non specific smear colour around eyes (55,42 %) and mouth (51,81 %), and on legs ( 58, 43 %), and no coloured back line (55,42 %). It seems that Madura cattle characteristics are combination of the characteristics of Bali and Ongole cattle. The characteristics have been maintaining by farmers as traditional selection criteria through Sonok contest. Most of Sonok heifers and cows have good body condition score (98,10 %). By applying traditional selection, Madura people have been maintaining the phenotype uniformities of this breed for hundreds years. Keywords: Madura cattle, traditional selection, Sonok, uniformity