scholarly journals Factors affecting reproductive performance of dairy cows in a pasture-based, automatic milking system research farm: a retrospective, single-cohort study

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Talukder ◽  
P. Celi ◽  
K. L. Kerrisk ◽  
S. C. Garcia ◽  
N. K. Dhand
Keyword(s):  
Cohort Study ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
System Research ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Automatic Milking System ◽  
Automatic Milking ◽  
Herd Milk ◽  
Single Cohort

A retrospective, single-cohort study was conducted to identify production and health factors associated with reproductive performance in a pasture-based, automatic milking system research farm. The calving system of this herd shifted from split calving to year-round calving gradually during the study period. Data from 365 cows with 798 lactations were analysed. Reproductive outcome variables of interest were intervals from calving to first oestrus, to first insemination, and to conception, as well as number of inseminations per conception, probability of submission for insemination by 80 days in milk, probability of conception by 100 days in milk and probability of conception at first insemination. Production factors (milk yield and its composition, milking frequency), record of periparturient disease, parity and season of calving were considered as predictor variables. The associations between predictor and outcome variables were assessed by multivariable linear regression, logistic regression and survival analyses, for quantitative, binary and time-to-event outcomes, respectively. Average milk yield and milking frequency during 100 days in milk were not significantly associated with any of the reproductive measures. The likelihood of conception by 100 days in milk decreased gradually with year of automatic milking system commissioning. Cows calved in autumn were 43% (hazard ratio 1.43, P < 0.05) more likely to conceive than cows calved in summer. Multiparous cows were more likely (P < 0.05) to be recorded for oestrus than primiparous cows. Twinning was negatively associated with the reproductive outcomes measured in the automatic milking system research herd. Milk yield and milking frequency during 100 days in milk had no effect on reproductive measures in the pasture-based, automatic milking system research herd.

scholarly journals Genetic Parameters Estimation of Milking Traits in Polish Holstein-Friesians Based on Automatic Milking System Data

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1943
Author(s):  
Joanna Aerts ◽  
Dariusz Piwczyński ◽  
Heydar Ghiasi ◽  
Beata Sitkowska ◽  
Magdalena Kolenda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Correlation ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Parameters Estimation ◽  
Random Regression ◽  
Effective Selection ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Automatic Milking System ◽  
Automatic Milking

The automatic milking system (AMS) provides a large amount of information characterizing the course of each milking cow, which is not available in the conventional system. The aim of our study was to estimate heritability and genetic correlations for milk yield (MY), milking frequency (MF), and speed (MS) for 1713 Polish Holstein-Friesian primiparous cows milked in barns with an AMS. Daily heritability indicators estimated using second-order Legendre polynomials and Random Regression Models showed high variation during lactation, ranging 0.131–0.345 for MY, 0.153–0.322 for MF, and 0.336–0.493 for MS. The rates of genetic correlation between traits ranged: 0.561–0.929 for MY-MF, (−0.255)−0.090 for MF-MS, (−0.174)−0.020 for MY-MS. It is possible to carry out effective selection for milking speed, which provides an opportunity to increase the number of cows per milking robot, and thus increase the profitability of production in the herd. The results proved that selection for milk yield and daily milking frequency is also feasible. The research showed a high, positive genetic correlation between milking frequency and milk yield, which allows us to conclude that preferring breeding cows with a natural tendency to frequent visits to the milking robot should indirectly improve the genetic basis of milking.

Relationships between milking frequency, lactation persistency and milk yield in Swedish Red heifers and cows milked in a voluntary attendance automatic milking system

2011 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar Pettersson ◽  
Kerstin Svennersten-Sjaunja ◽  
Christopher H Knight
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Early Lactation ◽  
Large Dataset ◽  
High Quartile ◽  
Total Milk ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Automatic Milking System ◽  
Automatic Milking ◽  
Rate Of Decline

A large dataset comprising output from an automatic milking (AM) system between 1999 and 2006 was examined and a total of 172 cow lactation curves and 68 heifer lactation curves were identified for further analysis. Relationships between milking frequency at different stages of lactation and lactation persistency and total lactation yield were determined. Cows had higher peak and total milk yields than heifers, but heifers had higher persistency (defined as the rate of decline in milk yield between days 100 and 300 post calving). Milking frequency did not differ significantly between cows and heifers in early lactation, but thereafter decreased significantly more in cows than in heifers. The effect of milking frequency on yield characteristics was analysed by comparing the highest and lowest quartiles for milking frequency. High milking frequency in early lactation was consistently associated with increased peak yield. High milking frequency averaged across the whole lactation was associated with increased peak yield in both cows and heifers, and with improved lactation persistency in cows only. This resulted in total lactation yield that was 21% greater in the high quartile cows compared with the low.

scholarly journals Features of concentrate feeding in an automatic milking system with free cow traffic

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 00010
Author(s):  
Delyus Sharipov ◽  
Oleg Yakimov ◽  
Firaya Akhmetzyanova ◽  
Ildar Galimullin
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Complete Characterization ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
Automatic Milking System ◽  
Automatic Milking ◽  
Daily Milk Yield ◽  
Daily Milk

The objective of this research was to study the main factors influencing the consumption of concentrate depending on the daily milk yield in an automatic milking system (AMS) with free cow traffic. The researchers obtained data by visiting AMS from 227 lactating Holstein dairy cows for 30 days. For a more complete characterization of milking activity and feeding concentrate during milking in the AMS, the cows were divided into 6 groups: with a milk yield less than 20.0 kg, 20.1–25.0, 25.1–30.0, 30.1–35.0, 35.1–40.0 and more than 40.1 kg per day. With an increase in milk production, the allocation of concentrate in the milking box increases (P<0.001). So, with a daily milk yield of 17.6 ± 0.5 kg, 4.93 ± 0.13 kg of concentrate was allocated, 23.0 ± 0.3 kg – 6.10±0.11 kg of, 27.9 ± 0.2 kg – 6.93 ± 0.09 kg, 32.7 ± 0.2 – 7.50 ± 0.15 kg, 37.3 ± 0.3 – 7.68 ± 0.29 kg and with a daily milk yield of 42.9 ± 0.4 kg allocated 8.00 ± 0.30 kg of concentrate. Wherein, the milking frequency between groups increases from 2.9 ± 0.1 to 3.1 ± 0.1 times a day. Box-visiting time has a significant impact on the consumption of concentrate. So, when visiting a milking box with a duration of 6.09 ± 0.42 min, cows consumed 4.53 kg of concentrate, with 6.96 ± 0.27 min (P<0.05) – 5.89 kg, 7.09 ± 0.22 min (P<0.05) – 6.51 kg, 7.25 ± 0.26 min (P<0.05) – 6.83 kg, 8.06 ± 0.40 min (P<0.01) – 7.08 kg and when the duration of the visit was 8.07 ± 0.31 min (P<0.01), animals consumed 7.39 kg of concentrate. Thus, we found that the cows of all productivity groups did not completely consume the concentrate allocated in AMS.

scholarly journals The effect of lactation number, stage, length, and milking frequency on milk yield in Korean Holstein dairy cows using automatic milking system

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1093-1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayakrishnan Vijayakumar ◽  
Ji Hoo Park ◽  
Kwang Seok Ki ◽  
Dong Hyun Lim ◽  
Sang Bum Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Automatic Milking System ◽  
Automatic Milking ◽  
Holstein Dairy Cows

Effect of low light intensity at night on cow traffic in automatic milking systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 1784
Author(s):  
Fanny Hjalmarsson ◽  
Ingemar Olsson ◽  
Sabine Ferneborg ◽  
Sigrid Agenäs ◽  
Emma Ternman
Keyword(s):  
Light Intensity ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Milking Frequency ◽  
Automatic Milking ◽  
Automatic Milking Systems ◽  
Reduced Light

Several studies have shown benefits of long-day (16 h) photoperiod in lactating dairy cows, but have not identified a suitable light intensity for the dark hours. It is known that the locomotion pattern of dairy cows is altered at low light intensities and this may translate to reduced cow traffic and milking frequency, which would have a negative impact on system productivity. However, it is also recognised that a significant disturbance of rest may have a negative impact on the health and productivity of high-yielding dairy cows. This study examined the effect of three different night-time light intensities (LOW: 11 ± 3, MED: 33 ± 1 and HIGH: 74 ± 6 lx) on number of gate passages, milking frequency and milk yield in dairy cows in automatic milking systems. The study was conducted in Sweden during the winter of 2012–13 and the treatments were applied in a crossover design to three herds with an automatic milking system. Minimum day time light intensity was 158 lx. Data on gate passages, milking frequency and milk yield for 172 ± 49 (mean ± s.d.) cows during the last 22 days of each 34-day study period were analysed for treatment differences and differences in daily distribution over 24 h, during day time and night time. Light intensity did not affect total number of gate passages per 24-h period and cow, but number of gate passages per hour and cow was in all treatments lower during night time than during day time. Milking frequency was increased in MED compared with both HIGH and LOW (P < 0.05). Milk yield decreased with reduced light intensity, and differed significantly between HIGH and LOW treatments, 45 ± 1 kg and 44 ± 1 kg, respectively (P < 0.001). Our conclusion is that reducing light intensity to 11 lx at night time does not affect cows’ general activity as gate passages remained the same for all treatments. However, milk yield decreased with reduced light intensity, which might be related to a lower feed intake. We argue that providing night light for dairy cows, as required by many welfare acts, might be related to production level rather than welfare aspects and that the recommendations should be revised.

The impact of a shaded pre-milking yard on a pasture-based automatic milking system

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashleigh M. Wildridge ◽  
Sergio C. Garcia ◽  
Peter C. Thomson ◽  
Ellen C. Jongman ◽  
Cameron E.F. Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Metabolic Stress ◽  
Shade Treatment ◽  
Respiration Rates ◽  
Lactating Cows ◽  
Automatic Milking System ◽  
Automatic Milking ◽  
Cow Performance ◽  
The Impact

During hot weather cows typically reduce feed intake and actively seek shade and water to reduce the metabolic stress on their bodies. This can have a negative impact on the occurrence of voluntary milking visits to an automatic milking system (AMS) operating with voluntary traffic, thus reducing milking frequency. Shade is known to be effective in alleviating heat stress in dairy cattle; however, the impact of providing shade at the milking facility of a pasture-based AMS on time taken to voluntarily enter a milking unit is unknown. A herd of ~300 lactating cows milked in a pasture-based AMS were divided into two groups during the summer of 2016. Each group spent 4 weeks in a SHADE (predominately shaded pre-milking yard) and a NO-SHADE (predominantly non-shaded pre-milking yard) treatment, with two periods in a crossover design. Cow respiration rates, time spent in pre- and post-milking areas, concentrate consumption and milk yield were recorded. On average, cows in the SHADE treatment were found to take longer to enter the milking unit than did cows in the NO-SHADE treatment (SHADE = 11.40 min, NO-SHADE = 8.70 min, P < 0.001). SHADE was also associated with lower average respiration rates (SHADE = 68 breaths per minute (bpm), NO-SHADE = 73 bpm, P < 0.001), increased concentrate consumption (SHADE = 6.50 kg/cow.day, NO-SHADE = 6.39 kg/cow.day, P = 0.03) and increased milk yield (SHADE = 11.44 kg/cow.milking, NO-SHADE = 10.95 kg/cow.milking, P < 0.001). Overall, SHADE made available to the cows pre-milking appeared to improve cow performance and comfort (as indicated by reduced respiration rates).

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