scholarly journals How do herd’s genetic level and milk quality affect performance of dairy farms?  

2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (No. 10) ◽  
pp. 379-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Luik-Lindsaar ◽  
A.H. Viira ◽  
H. Viinalass ◽  
T. Kaart ◽  
R. Värnik

The effects of genetic level and output quality characteristics on technical efficiency (TE) of dairy farms were studied. The average total relative breeding value (RBV) at herd level was considered a parameter of the genetic level and production potential of the main input (dairy cows), while somatic cell count (SCC) and milk composition characterise the quality of the main output (milk) of dairy farms. The analysis was carried out in two stages: data envelopment analysis was used in the first stage and fractional regression model in the second stage, combining the data collected by the Estonian Farm Accountancy Data Network with the data from the Estonian Livestock Performance Recording Ltd. The results showed that the TE of fully efficient dairy farms is positively affected by the total RBV (P < 0.05), number of dairy cows in the herd (P < 0.05), and negatively affected by the SCC (P < 0.001) and costs of purchased feed per kg of produced milk (P < 0.01). Among the inefficient farms, the TE was positively affected by the lifetime daily milk yield (P < 0.05), and average milk fat (P < 0.1) and protein (P < 0.05) contents. The results confirm our hypothesis that the genetic level of dairy herd and milk quality have a positive effect on the TE of dairy farms.

2002 ◽  
Vol 2002 ◽  
pp. 18-18
Author(s):  
G. E. Pollott ◽  
J. D. Leaver

In recent years there has been an influx of Holstein genes into the UK dairy herd, largely achieved by a ‘grading up’ process using imported Holstein semen on Friesian cows. The research reported here investigates this process using performance records from UK dairy herds.


1995 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. Corbett ◽  
L. A. Goonewardene ◽  
E. K. Okine

The effect of substituting peas for soybean and canola meals as a protein source in a high-producing dairy herd was studied in 66 Holstein cows, divided into two groups based on stage of lactation, parity, level of milk production and days in milk. Two 18.5% crude protein grain concentrate diets were formulated based on the nutrient analyses of the forages available. The control grain mix contained standard protein sources, principally soybean and canola meal (SBM\CM) while the test grain mix was formulated to contain approximately 25% field peas as the major source of protein. Both grain rations were formulated to the same nutrient specifications and balanced for undegradable protein. The duration of the trial was 6 mo during which grain feeding levels were adjusted monthly based on milk yield. For cows in early lactation, 4% fat-corrected milk yield was higher (P < 0.05) for cows fed pea based concentrates (31.3 kg d−1) than for cows fed SBM\CM supplement (29.7 kg d−1). Fat-corrected milk yield was not affected by source of protein in mid- and late-lactation cows. Fat-corrected milk production was not different (P > 0.05) for cows fed SBM\CM compared with cows fed the pea supplement when cows across all stages of lactation were included in the analyses. Milk fat percent was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for early- and mid-lactation cows fed the pea supplement. The results suggest that peas can be substituted for SBM\CM as a protein source for high-producing dairy cows. Key words: Dairy cow, pea, soybean and canola meal supplement, undegradable protein, milk production


Author(s):  
J G Doherty ◽  
C S Mayne

Several studies have shown increased silage dry-matter intake (SDMI) and improved milk fat concentrations in dairy cows offered restricted fermented grass silages compared to more extensively fermented silages. A recent study suggested that differences in silage intakeper serather than an alteration in rumen fermentation may be responsible for the changes in milk composition observed in the previous studies (Doherty and Mayne, 1993). The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of changes in concentrate composition on milk production parameters in dairy cows offered grass silages of contrasting fermentation type.Two direct cut grass silages were prepared using either an inoculant, containing a single strain ofLactobacillus plantarum, (Ecosyl, 3 1/t fresh weight, Zeneca Products Ltd) or a mixture of aliphatic carboxylic acids (Maxgrass, 6 1/t fresh weight, BP Chemicals Ltd). Two concentrates (high starch or high fibre) were formulated containing either: barley, 300; wheat, 355; and soyabean-meal, 270 g/kg (high starch) or unmolassed sugar-beet pulp, 555; citrus pulp, 100; and soyabean-meal, 270 g/kg (high fibre).


2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 50-65
Author(s):  
MA Baset ◽  
KS Huque ◽  
NR Sarker ◽  
MM Hossain ◽  
MN Islam

A total of 160 cows, 10 cows in each of native (local cow) and crossbred (local × Holstein Friesian) origins differing in lactation were used in 2×2×2×2 factorial experiment using Randomized Block Design (RBD) to evaluate milk yield and composition of cows considering regions (good & poor feed base region), seasons (dry: Nov.–Feb. 2009 & wet: Jun.–Oct. 2009), genotypes and lactation. A “good and/or poor feed base” region was classified based on the availability of quantity and quality roughages throughout the year. The study revealed that the daily milk yield and 4% FCM of cows under good feed base condition were 6.76 and 6.49 kg, respectively and under poor feed base condition were 3.67 and 3.31 kg, respectively. Feed base region did not affect on milk fat and it was observed that the milk protein, lactose, solids-not-fat (SNF), minerals and total solids under good feed base condition were 37.9, 54.9, 100.9, 6.3 and 140.6 g/kg, respectively, whereas, under poor feed base condition the values were 36.3, 52.9, 98.0, 6.1 and 135.2 g/kg, respectively. Season did not affect milk yield and composition except minerals (6.5 g/kg vs. 5.9 g/kg). Genotypes significantly (p?0.01) influenced daily milk yield, the milk protein and minerals. Lactation did not affect milk yield and the milk protein, but influenced the fat, lactose, SNF, minerals and total solids. The interaction of feed base regions and seasons significantly (p?0.01) influenced milk yield and the milk fat and SNF. The milk protein and lactose was influenced by the interaction of feed bases region, seasons and lactation. Milk yield negatively correlated with fat per cent. The percentage of fat significantly (p?0.01) correlated with protein, lactose, SNF, and minerals %. The percentage protein correlated with lactose, SNF and minerals. Lactose % significantly (p?0.01) correlated with SNF%. It may be concluded that milk yield and composition depends on feed base region, genotype and lactation of cows. Season did not influence milk yield and the composition. Milk yield negatively correlated with the percentage of fat, protein, lactose, SNF and milk composition strongly correlated with each other.Bangladesh J. of Livestock Res. 19(1-2): 50-65, Jan-Dec 2012


1990 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 731-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. ATWAL ◽  
J. D. ERFLE

Large day-to-day variations in milk fat, particularly for the morning milkings, were observed in 36 Holstein cows. Changes in percent fat were gradual and produced wavelike patterns in a number of instances. Supplemental feeding of long hay had no effect on acetate/propionate ratio in rumen fluid, daily milk yield or weighted milk fat percentage. Key words: Dairy cows, milk, fat depression, hay


1970 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 91-96
Author(s):  
M Saiful Islam ◽  
Susanta Kumar Kundu

Impact of genotypes and parity on some vital reproductive and productive attributes in the local (L×L, n = 100) and four crossbred cows (L×F, L×SL, L×JR and L×S; n = 318) raised in randomly selected smallholder dairy farms scattered all over Natore District and adjacent areas have been assessed during a period from September 2007 to June 2010. With regard to reproductive attributes, significant differences existed among the cattle genotypes (P<0.05) except for gestation length (GL) and age at weaning (AW). The lowest age at puberty (AP) was found for L×F (21.42±0.37 months), while the highest for L×L (31.67±0.74 months). In terms of productivity, L×F cows produced the highest daily milk yield (DMY; 6.22±0.13 L), coupled with the highest total lactation yield (TLY; 2163.43±47.77 L), while L×L produced the lowest values (1.49±0.04 L and 416.40±12.3 L, respectively) for the traits. The effect of parity on both reproductive and productive attributes showed that the middle-aged dairy cows of the 3rd and 4th parities performed better than the younger (1st and 2nd parities) or the older (5th and beyond) ones. Considering the overall performance, the L×F cows could be ranked as the best genotype followed by their L×SL, L×JR, L×S and L×L counterparts in the study area. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jles.v6i0.9727 JLES 2011 6: 91-96


2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 334-340
Author(s):  
Elisa Manzocchi ◽  
Werner Hengartner ◽  
Michael Kreuzer ◽  
Katrin Giller

AbstractThis research paper addresses the hypotheses (1) that milk produced from hay-fed cows differs from that of silage-fed cows and (2) that silage type has an important impact, too. Four diets differing in forage type but with equal estimated milk production potential and a forage:concentrate ratio of 0.85 : 0.15 were compared regarding their effect on feed intake, milk yield and milk properties. The forages tested were hay, grass silage, conventional short-chopped and long-chopped maize silage subjected to a novel processing technology (Shredlage®). Twenty-four dairy cows were fed two of the four diets in two consecutive runs in an incomplete (4 × 2) Latin-square design (n = 12 per diet). Each experimental period lasted 22 d, with 12 d of adaptation and 10 d of sampling. During sampling, feed intake and milk yield were recorded daily, milk composition and coagulation properties were determined four times. The composition of the diet ingredients was analysed weekly. Data were analysed with a mixed model considering feed, period and their interaction as fixed effects. Stage of lactation, milk yield and milk composition from the pre-experimental period were used as covariates in the model. Dry matter intake was lower with the long-chopped processed maize silage compared to the other three groups. There were some diet differences in intakes of net energy for lactation and absorbable protein in the duodenum, but this did not result in changes in milk yield. The milk fat content was higher with the grassland-based diets compared to the maize silage diets. No treatment effect on milk acidity and rennet coagulation properties was observed. In conclusion, there were no indications for specific physico-chemical properties of milk from a hay-based diet, and maize processing technology was not of large effect either. Future investigations should focus on sensory differentiation of the milk produced with different forages.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Dunshea ◽  
Kehinde Oluboyede ◽  
Kristy DiGiacomo ◽  
Brian Leury ◽  
Jeremy Cottrell

Betaine is an organic osmolyte sourced from sugar beet that accumulates in plant cells undergoing osmotic stress. Since the accumulation of betaine lowers the energy requirements of animals and, therefore, metabolic heat production, the aim of this experiment was to investigate if betaine supplementation improved milk yield in grazing dairy cows in summer. One hundred and eighteen Friesian × Holstein cows were paired on days in milk and, within each pair, randomly allocated to a containing treatment of either 0 or 2 g/kg natural betaine in their concentrate ration for approximately 3 weeks during February/March 2015 (summer in Australia). The mean maximum February temperature was 30 °C. Cows were allocated approximately 14 kg dry matter pasture and 7.5 kg of concentrate pellets (fed in the milking shed) per cow per day and were milked through an automatic milking system three times per day. Betaine supplementation increased average daily milk yield by over 6% (22.0 vs. 23.4 kg/day, p < 0.001) with the response increasing as the study progressed as indicated by the interaction (p < 0.001) between betaine and day. Milk fat % (p = 0.87), milk protein % (p = 0.90), and milk somatic cell count (p = 0.81) were unchanged by dietary betaine. However, betaine supplementation increased milk protein yield (677 vs. 719 g/day, p < 0.001) and fat yield (874 vs. 922 g/day, p < 0.001) with responses again being more pronounced as the study progressed. In conclusion, dietary betaine supplementation increased milk and component yield during summer in grazing dairy cows.


2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 130-130
Author(s):  
A.R. Bayat ◽  
R. Valizadeh ◽  
A.A. Nasserian

NRC (2001) recommended 250 g/kg dietary neutral detergent fibre (NDF) with a minimum of 190 g/kg dietary forage NDF to prevent milk fat depression. This recommendation does not account for the differences in forage particle size. The forage particle size requirements of dairy cows fed barley grain-based diets can differ from those fed maize grain-based diets (Yang and Beauchemin, 2006). The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of lucerne hay and barley grain particle sizes on chewing activity, rumen pH, milk yield and milk composition using barley grain-based diets.


2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 1488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thuy T. T. Nguyen ◽  
Ben J. Hayes ◽  
Jennie E. Pryce

Climate change will have an impact on dairy cow performance. When heat stressed, animals consume less feed, followed by a decline in milk yield. Previously, we have found that there is genetic variation in this decline. Selection for increased milk production, a major breeding objective, is expected to reduce heat tolerance (HT), as these traits are genetically unfavourably correlated. We aimed to develop a future-scenarios selection tool to assist farmers in making selection decisions, that combines the current national dairy selection index, known as the balanced performance index (BPI), with a proposed HT genomic estimated breeding value (GEBV). Heat-tolerance GEBV was estimated for 12 062 genotyped cows and 10 981 bulls, using an established genomic-prediction equation. Publicly available future daily average temperature and humidity data were used to estimate mean daily temperature–humidity index for each dairy herd. An economic estimate of an individual cow’s heat-tolerance breeding value (BV_HT) was calculated by multiplying head-tolerance GEBVs for milk, fat and protein by their respective economic values that are already used in the BPI. This was scaled for each region by multiplying BV_HT by the heat load, which is the temperature–humidity index units exceeding the threshold per year at a particular location. BV_HT were incorporated into the BPI as: BPI_HT = BPI + BV_HT; where BPI_HT is the ‘augmented BPI’ breeding value including HT. A web-based application was developed enabling farmers to predict the future heat load of a herd and take steps to aim at genetic improvement in future generations by selecting bulls and cows that rank high for the ‘augmented BPI’.


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