ORIGINAL PAPER
Environmental factors and progeny affecting milk
yield and composition during the first lactation
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Research Institute of Animal Production,
P.O. Box 30 c, 94 992 Nitra, Slovakia
Publication date: 2005-08-04
Corresponding author
J. Broucek
Research Institute of Animal Production,
P.O. Box 30 c, 94 992 Nitra, Slovakia
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2005;14(3):461-481
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to determine whether the milk yield (MY) of primiparous cows is
affected by their housing to weaning, the method of providing liquid feed, sire (S) line, and season
of birth and calving. Thirty-two heifer-calves were used in the experiment; 19 heifers were kept in
individual housing (IH) and 13 in loose housing (LH) from the second day of life. On the seventh
day the IH heifers were divided according to feeding milk replacer (MR) or milk: 10 were relocated
from IH to a pen with a computer-controlled feeder (CCF) providing automatic feeding of MR
(AF), 9 heifers stayed in IH with bucket drinking (BF). The LH heifers were moved to a nursing
cows pen (UF). Heifers were kept in free-stall housing after the first calving. The cows were also
divided according to the sire, season of birth and calving. LH primiparous cows produced more
milk throughout the first eight months of lactation, more MY, FCM and protein for 305 d lactation
(P<0.05). UF cows had the highest MY throughout the first lactation and reached the significantly
highest milk yield and FCM (6894.1; 6541.9 kg), whereas AF cows, the lowest (5757.5; 5820.9 kg;
P<0.01) for 305 days of lactation. The contents of fat and total solids (TS) were the highest in group
AF. Sire lineages differed in the contents of fat, protein, lactose, non-fat solids (NSF), TS, and MY,
lactose and NFS. Cows born and calved in the summer showed lower MY and FCM yields. The most
productive cows were born and calved in the winter and spring.
CITATIONS (1):
1.
Non-parametric analysis of the effects of αS1-casein genotype and parturition non-genetic factors on milk yield and composition in Murciano-Granadina goats
M. Pizarro, V. Landi, González Navas, J. León, J. Delgado
Italian Journal of Animal Science