The aim of the study was to analyse the genetic parameters of age at first calving and calving interval in the Kuri cattle breed, using data from 292 cows from 15 bulls born at the Sayam research station in Niger and monitored over the period 1994 to 2011. Genetic parameters were determined by the mother-daughter regression method and by the variance component method using a father mixed-effects model based on restricted maximum likelihood. The effects of season and year of calving were significant (p < 0.05) on the two reproductive parameters studied. Calving interval repeatability, estimated by intraclass correlation, was 0.13 ± 0.05. Heritability’s estimated by correlation between paternal half-sisters were 0.14 ± 0.07 and 0.51 ± 0.13 respectively for age at first calving and calving interval. Those estimated by regressing daughters ‘performances on dams’ performances were 0.25 ± 0.11 and 0.33 ± 0.17 respectively for age at first calving and calving interval. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between the two traits were -0.295 and -0.167 respectively. The high heritability estimates obtained showed a possibility of improving the two reproduction traits through selection.
