Wastage, length of productive life, replacement and depreciation of dairy cows

1940 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. N. Pettit

1. In the Eastern Counties of England, annual wastage from milk recorded dairy herds amounts to 29·3 % of the number of cows at the beginning of the year.2. Average length of productive herd life in milk recorded herds is 3·4 years.3. Average length of total productive life in milk recorded herds is probably a little more than 4 years. Average length of total productive life in all herds is probably longer, and may be of the order of 5 years.4. Deaths of cows are equivalent to 10·4% of the total wastage, and to a mortality rate of 3·0% of the number of cows at the beginning of the year.5. During the three-year period 1934–5 to 1936–7, cows leaving the herd realized an average of £10. 10s. 6d. per head. The average market value placed upon heifers when they entered the milking herd was £20. 14s. per head, while cows for replacement purposes cost an average of £22. 5s. per head.6. Of all replacements, 67·7 % are heifers, but not all of these are home-bred. In annual valuations, 49·0 % of cows are described as homebred, 50·6% as purchased and 0·4% as unknown.

2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-402
Author(s):  
P. Strapák ◽  
P. Juhás ◽  
E. Strapáková ◽  
M. Halo

Abstract. Data obtained from the evaluation of longevity in 118 646 dairy cows of the Slovak Simmental breed were analyzed. The average length of productive life reached 1 451 days (3.88 years). Based on the analysis of the length of productive life for the whole cattle population, we calculated the ratio of cows that reached more than 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72 and 84 months respectively. The most important effects were the sire (F=53.43, P<0.001) and the farm effect (F=26.32, P<0.001). The milk production at first lactation was an important factor, too. The effects of conformation traits on the length of productive life were analyzed in a group of 6 585 culled cows. From the main conformation traits the most important effects were recorded for body frame, udder, feet and legs. For a detailed evaluation, the level of the effects of a particular body conformation trait were tested. The most important effects were rump angle, croup height and body depth. The analysis of udder traits showed that the most important effects were udder depth, teats length, rear udder attachment and rear udder. From the feet and legs traits the most important effects were recorded for fetlock, foot and rear legs.


Ruminants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Frank van Eerdenburg ◽  
Lars Ruud

Lying is an important behavior of dairy cattle. Cows should spend more than 50% of a day lying as it has a high impact on their milk yield and animal welfare. The design, size, and flooring properties of the free stalls influence the time cows spend lying, the way they lie down, and their rising movements. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the currently available information with the aim to assist farmers and advisors to come to an optimal design of the free stalls. The design of the free stalls should enable the cows to move and lie in positions as natural as possible. Cows should rest, with all parts of the body, on a clean, dry and soft bed, be able to stretch their front legs forward, lie on their sides with unobstructed space for their neck and head, and rest with their heads against their flanks without hindrance from a partition. When they stand, they should not be hindered by neck rails, partitions, or supports. A comfortable place for cows to lie down helps cows to stay healthy, improve welfare, and increase milk yield. Hence, the probability of a longer productive life for the cows increases and the number of replacements per year decreases.


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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 2024
Author(s):  
Natalie Turner ◽  
Pevindu Abeysinghe ◽  
Pawel Sadowski ◽  
Murray D. Mitchell

The reproductive status of dairy cows remains a challenge for dairy farmers worldwide, with impaired fertility linked to a significant reduction in herd profitability, due in part to impaired immunity, increased metabolic pressure, and longer postpartum anestrous interval (PPAI). Exosomes are nanovesicles released from a variety of cell types and end up in circulation, and carry proteins, bioactive peptides, lipids, and nucleic acids specific to the place of origin. As such, their role in health and disease has been investigated in humans and animals. This review discusses research into exosomes in the context of reproduction in dairy herds and introduces recent advances in mass-spectrometry (MS) based proteomics that have a potential to advance quantitative profiling of exosomal protein cargo in a search for early biomarkers of cattle fertility.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 142-148
Author(s):  
VIVIANE CRISTINA ULIANA PETERLE ◽  
JOÃO CARLOS GEBER JUNIOR ◽  
WILLIAN DARWIN JUNIOR ◽  
ALEXANDRE VASCONCELOS LIMA ◽  
PAULO EMILIANO BEZERRA JUNIOR ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the profile of femur fractures in older adults in Brazil between 2008 and 2018. Methods: Population-based time series study with data from the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (Datasus), including 480,652 hospitalizations, of adults from 60 years and over, with hip fracture (ICD10-S72). Results: There was an increase of 76.9% in the hospitalization register (mean 5.87%/year) and an average incidence rate of 19.46 fractures for every 10,000 older adults. In total, 68% of hospitalizations were female, 28% from São Paulo. The average length of stay was 8.9 days, being higher in the Northern Region (11.8) and in the Federal District (18.7). Average mortality rate was 5%, being higher in men (5.45%) and over 80 years old. Northeast Region had the lowest mortality rate (3.54%). Southeast Region had the highest rate (5.53%). Total cost of hospitalizations was R$ 1.1 billion, with an average of R$ 100 million/year. Average cost per hospitalization was higher in the Southern Region (R$ 2,491.00). Conclusion: Femoral fracture is an important cause of mortality among older adults, with a higher incidence in women but higher mortality in men, with high cost to the system and regional differences. Level of Evidence II, Economic and decision analyses - developing an economic or decision model.


Author(s):  
L Naher ◽  
M. A. Samad ◽  
S. H. M. F. Siddiki ◽  
M. T. Islam

Background: Cattle cross-breeding program has been launched throughout Bangladesh but this program has still focused mainly on biological rather than economic evaluation. Currently, 30000 dairy farms with mainly cross-bred cows are in operation throughout the country and this intensive dairy farming system with high milk yielding dairy cows is supposed to be associated with high incidence of sub-clinical nutritional and metabolic diseases. Objectives: The objective of this study was to detect the relationship between major blood metabolic profiles and milk yield associated with parity and stage of lactation in cross-bred dairy cows. Materials and Methods: Blood samples of 220 apparently healthy lactating cross-bred dairy cows (HF x L, n = 190; SH x L, n = 20 and JS x L, n = 10) of 10 dairy herds were collected for metabolic profile test (MPT) in Bangladesh during the period from July to November 2016. The major metabolic profiles which are associated with milk fever (calcium, phosphorus & magnesium) and ketosis (glucose) were considered in this study. These biochemical parameters were estimated to detect the influence of risk factors including herds, breeds, parities and lactation age of cross-bred lactating dairy cows by using the commercial kits in spectrophotometer method. Results: The evaluation of the biochemical constituents of 220 cross-bred lactating dairy cows revealed that 30% (n = 66) had hypocalcaemia and 20.45% (n = 45) had hypoglycemia. Significantly lower levels of average calcium (7.93 ± 0.36 mg/dl; p < 0.024) and glucose (43.44 ± 3.63 mg/dl; p < 0.0001) values were recorded in HF x L cross-bred dairy herd of BAUDF, Mymensingh in comparison to other investigated nine dairy herds. The highest milk yield was recorded at 7th parity (16 +- 0.91 liter / day) and 1st week of lactation (17.33 +- 1.09 liter / day) were associated with low mean calcium (8.09 +- 0.85 mg / dl; 6.68 +- 0.13 mg/dl) and glucose (36.45 +- 7.67 mg/dl; 32.31 +- 3.90 mg / dl) levels in comparison to the respective values of different parity and lactation weeks. Conclusions: A relationship between blood metabolic profiles and milk yield associated with herd, breed, parity and lactation stages was recorded in lactating crossbred dairy cows. The evaluation of blood metabolites at different stages of lactation cycle especially at transition period is required to detect the nutritional and metabolic health for optimum milk production and to achieve maximum reproductive potential of high yielding dairy cattle. The readily available milk samples could be used as a biological fluid to monitor the health and nutritional status of dairy cows by using mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy method to prevent sub-clinical metabolic disorders. Therefore, well developed laboratories with necessary equipment, test kits and reagent should be provided to perform MPT in both the blood and milk samples for practical uses. Keywords: Compton metabolic profile test, Metabolic profile, Lactating cross-bred cows, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Glucose, Parity, Lactation stages


2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 719-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sérgio Fonsêca Guimarães ◽  
Atílio Storti Filho

Matrinxã is a very promising amazonian fish for fish culture in Brazil. This study is aimed at determining the approximate tolerated temperature range in this species. Groups of ten young matrinxã specimens (15.1±0.8 cm average length and 58.3±10.3 g average weight) were subjected to 9 different temperatures for 24 hours without previous acclimation. Fish were transferred from an initial temperature of 27ºC to those ranging from 12 to 39ºC at 3ºC intervals. Both 12ºC and 39ºC temperatures were lethal for this species with 100% mortality rate. Following 2 minutes of exposure to 39ºC fish changed behavior, showing an increase in opercular movements and erratic swimming; mortality reached 100% after 18 minutes. At 12ºC, fish lost equilibrium immediately after exposure and started swimming erratically; after only 4 minutes fish became lethargic and remained immobile on the bottom of the tank. Total mortality was only evident following 24 hours. At 15ºC matrinxã lost equilibrium after 5 to 6 minutes of exposure but mortality was only 20% after 24 hours. Fish tolerated well temperatures ranging from 18 to 36ºC with 100% survival after 24 hours. This preliminary study suggests that temperatures between 18 and 36ºC are the approximate range normally tolerated by this species, although survival at other temperatures may be increased by gradually acclimating fish to the more severe increases or decreases in temperature. In addition, it indicates that matrinxã may be cultivated over a wide geographical area.


1997 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 1386-1387 ◽  
Author(s):  
DANIEL H. RICE ◽  
ERIC D. EBEL ◽  
DALE D. HANCOCK ◽  
THOMAS E. BESSER ◽  
DONALD E. HERRIOTT ◽  
...  

Cull dairy cattle both on the farm and at slaughter from herds in the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington were surveyed for Escherichia coli O157 by culturing fecal swab samples. A total of 205 cull cows from 19 dairy herds were sampled on the farm of origin; 7 (3.4%) tested positive for E. coli O157. A total of 103 cull cows from 15 dairy herds were sampled at slaughter; 4 (3.9%) were positive for E. coli O157. Eighty-nine cull cows were sampled both at the farm and at slaughter; 2 (2.2%) were positive in both locations, 3 (3.3%) only on the farm, and 2 (2.2%) only at the slaughter plant. Seven (7.9%) of the 89 cull cows tracked from farm to slaughter were positive in at least one location. This suggests a higher prevalence of E. coli O157 in cull dairy cattle than previously has been reported to occur in other ages and classes of cattle.


2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-411
Author(s):  
Isabelle Chaperon, Cynthia Ouellet ◽  
Vincent Girard ◽  
Younes Chorfi

In order to reduce soil phosphorus (P) saturation, it is essential to assess the amount of manure P on cultivated soil. The purpose of this study was to estimate yearly herd manure P outputs from production and feeding records with a model based on replacement and dairy animals. The model predicts manure P based on P ingested by dairy cows (kg yr-1), P secreted in milk (kg yr-1), P in calf at birth (kg yr-1), and the number of first-lactation cows. The relationship between first-lactation cows and heifers was established; there were 1.3 ± 0.05 heifers for each first-lactation cow. Manure P from heifers was then obtained by fitting the model to manure P accumulated in concrete pits of 12 farms, measured over two 6-mo periods at 1 yr intervals. The model added 10.6 ± 4.6 kg of P for each first-lactation cow to predict the yearly P output of 1.3 heifers. Ratios between P harvested as feed and P predicted in manure were calculated in 1133 herds. High ratios were obtained in herds with less customized concentrate (P < 0.001), more harvested grain and silage (P < 0.001) on farm and larger size of herd (P < 0.001) with more milk (P < 0.001) and lower calf production (P < 0.001). Decreasing purchased customized concentrates and increasing the amount of silage fed to animals are valid options to reduce non-point-source P pollution. Key words: Dairy herds, manure, phosphorus, model, reproductive efficiency


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document