Assessment of health conditions in Khmer native × Hariana crossbred cattle under a free-grazing system.

Background: Cattle play an important role in supporting food security and rural livelihoods economy in Cambodia. However, cattle production systems in Cambodia remain largely traditional, characterized by extensive grazing, limited feed supplementation, low genetic potential, and inadequate health management, which result in low productivity and increased vulnerability to diseases. Therefore, ensuring sustainable productivity in the cattle sector in Cambodia requires a focus on health management, which is essential to enhance animal health resilience and reduce disease vulnerability. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the condition of Khmer native × Hariana crossbred cattle under a free-grazing system, with a focus on differences between males and females. Methods: Ten cattle were selected, consisting of five males (206.80 ± 10.15 kg/head) and five females (192.60 ± 12.59 kg/head) based on their initial body weight (IBW). The dietary treatments were arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with two treatments and five replications, each replication containing one animal. The feeding treatments were as follows: FGm, free-grazing (male), and FGf, free-grazing (female). Results: The results indeed showed that the IBW and final body weight (FBW) did not differ significantly between the groups ( Conclusion: These findings suggest that free-grazing management may adversely affect cattle health. Thus, to ensure clear and measurable results, data collection should be conducted over a longer period in future research on native crossbred beef cattle.