scholarly journals The Effect of the Season on the Behavior and Milk Yield of the Czech Fleckvieh Cows

Author(s):  
Tomáš Černý ◽  
Milan Večeřa ◽  
Daniel Falta ◽  
Gustav Chládek

The aim of this study was to evaluate the seasonal behavior and milk yield of dairy cows of Czech Fleckvieh cattle. The subject of the monitoring was one section (housed in one quarter of barn) with 103 free cubicle beds with an average of 95 lactating dairy cows of Czech Fleckvieh cattle. In the seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) temperature (°C), relative humidity (%) and temperature-humidity index (THI) were monitored. Furthermore, behavioral signs were also observed (a total of 4,940 observations): dairy cows were either lying down (3,432 observations) or standing up (1,508 observations). In the conditions that dairy cows were standing up in the cubicle, up to 585 observations were proved. If dairy cows were standing up outside of the cubicle (923 observations), they were either lying on the left side (1,924 observations) or right side (1,508). Significant seasonal influence was found out (p < 0.05) on the number of dairy cows standing up (a maximum of 410 observations in the spring, a minimum of 342 observations in the summer) and then the number of cows lying both on the left (a maximum of 519 observations in the autumn and a minimum of 444 observations in the spring) and on the right side (a maximum of 415 observations in the winter, a minimum of 320 observations in the autumn). The seasonal influence was no significant (p > 0.05) in the remaining behavioral signs. With regard to milk yield, a significant seasonal influence was proved. The highest milk yield was reached with dairy cows in spring (29.27 kg of milk) and the lowest in the autumn (24.58 kg of milk). No significant differences of milk yield were detected between behavioral signs (p > 0.05). The maximum difference of milk yield was found out up to 1.39 kg between dairy cows lying down on the left side (28.35 kg) and the dairy cows standing up in a cubicle (26.96 kg) in the winter but even this difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (02) ◽  
pp. 39-41
Author(s):  
H H Panchasara ◽  
A B Chaudhari ◽  
D A Patel ◽  
Y M Gami ◽  
M P Patel

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feeding herbal galactogogue preparation (Sanjivani biokseera) on the milk yield and milk constituents in lactating Kankrej cows. Thirty-two lactating Kankrej cows in their 1st to 6th lactation were taken for the experiment from 3 days after calving up to 52 days postpartum. All the animals were fed as per the standard seasonally available roughages and concentrates to meet their nutritional requirements. The cows were randomly divided into two uniform groups of 16 cows in each according to initial milk yield and milk composition. The animals in group-I were not given any supplement and served as control. The animals in group-II were given Sanjivani biokseera (Naturewell Industries) @ 60 g per day for 1-month, commencing 3 days after calving, in addition to the usual feeds/fodders. A clear difference was observed in milk yield from day 8 onward of experiment between groups with significant (plessthan0 0.05) higher values from day 16-52 in cows fed herbal galactogogue as compared to control, but no such distinct effect on milk constituents was observed on day 52 when analyzed. The use of herbal galactogogue significantly (p lessthan 0.05) increased the overall average of 52 days milk production, which was 9.34 ± 0.21 lit/day in supplemented as compared to 7.75 ± 0.26 lit/day in control animals. It was concluded that herbal galactogogue (Sanjivani biokseera) could increase milk yield in lactating dairy cows through its galactopoetic property and improved rumen environment.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 722
Author(s):  
Jang-Hoon Jo ◽  
Jalil Ghassemi Nejad ◽  
Dong-Qiao Peng ◽  
Hye-Ran Kim ◽  
Sang-Ho Kim ◽  
...  

This study aims to characterize the influence of short-term heat stress (HS; 4 day) in early lactating Holstein dairy cows, in terms of triggering blood metabolomics and parameters, milk yield and composition, and milk microRNA expression. Eight cows (milk yield = 30 ± 1.5 kg/day, parity = 1.09 ± 0.05) were homogeneously housed in environmentally controlled chambers, assigned into two groups with respect to the temperature humidity index (THI) at two distinct levels: approximately ~71 (low-temperature, low-humidity; LTLH) and ~86 (high-temperature, high-humidity; HTHH). Average feed intake (FI) dropped about 10 kg in the HTHH group, compared with the LTLH group (p = 0.001), whereas water intake was only numerically higher (p = 0.183) in the HTHH group than in the LTLH group. Physiological parameters, including rectal temperature (p = 0.001) and heart rate (p = 0.038), were significantly higher in the HTHH group than in the LTLH group. Plasma cortisol and haptoglobin were higher (p < 0.05) in the HTHH group, compared to the LTLH group. Milk yield, milk fat yield, 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM), and energy-corrected milk (ECM) were lower (p < 0.05) in the HTHH group than in the LTLH group. Higher relative expression of milk miRNA-216 was observed in the HTHH group (p < 0.05). Valine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, lactic acid, 3-phenylpropionic acid, 1,5-anhydro-D-sorbitol, myo-inositol, and urea were decreased (p < 0.05). These results suggest that early lactating cows are more vulnerable to short-term (4 day) high THI levels—that is, HTHH conditions—compared with LTLH, considering the enormous negative effects observed in measured blood metabolomics and parameters, milk yield and compositions, and milk miRNA-216 expression.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Shulin Liang ◽  
Chaoqun Wu ◽  
Wenchao Peng ◽  
Jian-Xin Liu ◽  
Hui-Zeng Sun

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using the dry matter intake of first 2 h after feeding (DMI-2h), body weight (BW), and milk yield to estimate daily DMI in mid and late lactating dairy cows with fed ration three times per day. Our dataset included 2840 individual observations from 76 cows enrolled in two studies, of which 2259 observations served as development dataset (DDS) from 54 cows and 581 observations acted as the validation dataset (VDS) from 22 cows. The descriptive statistics of these variables were 26.0 ± 2.77 kg/day (mean ± standard deviation) of DMI, 14.9 ± 3.68 kg/day of DMI-2h, 35.0 ± 5.48 kg/day of milk yield, and 636 ± 82.6 kg/day of BW in DDS and 23.2 ± 4.72 kg/day of DMI, 12.6 ± 4.08 kg/day of DMI-2h, 30.4 ± 5.85 kg/day of milk yield, and 597 ± 63.7 kg/day of BW in VDS, respectively. A multiple regression analysis was conducted using the REG procedure of SAS to develop the forecasting models for DMI. The proposed prediction equation was: DMI (kg/day) = 8.499 + 0.2725 × DMI-2h (kg/day) + 0.2132 × Milk yield (kg/day) + 0.0095 × BW (kg/day) (R2 = 0.46, mean bias = 0 kg/day, RMSPE = 1.26 kg/day). Moreover, when compared with the prediction equation for DMI in Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle (2001) using the independent dataset (VDS), our proposed model shows higher R2 (0.22 vs. 0.07) and smaller mean bias (−0.10 vs. 1.52 kg/day) and RMSPE (1.77 vs. 2.34 kg/day). Overall, we constructed a feasible forecasting model with better precision and accuracy in predicting daily DMI of dairy cows in mid and late lactation when fed ration three times per day.


2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 450-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisashi NABENISHI ◽  
Hiroshi OHTA ◽  
Toshihumi NISHIMOTO ◽  
Tetsuo MORITA ◽  
Koji ASHIZAWA ◽  
...  

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


2018 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 489 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Taylor ◽  
J. A. D. Ranga Niroshan Appuhamy ◽  
J. Dijkstra ◽  
E. Kebreab

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate mathematical models that predict mineral excretion, particularly calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and selenium (Se), from lactating dairy cows. Mineral excretion can be affected by several dietary factors. A deficiency in Ca or Mg application to pasture, among other factors, can contribute to grass tetany or wheat pasture poisoning in cows, whereas an excess can cause runoff into water supplies. Manure application with high Se concentration can also result in runoff, causing the bioaccumulation of selenium in aquatic ecosystems, wetland habitats and estuaries, leading to toxic levels in fish. A database composed of studies relating to mineral utilisation in lactating dairy cows conducted after and including the year 2000 was compiled. A meta-analysis was conducted with the aim of creating multiple empirical equations to predict Ca, Mg and Se excretion from lactating dairy cows. Calcium intake, feed Ca content, milk yield, milk protein content and acid detergent fibre content in diet were positively and linearly related to Ca excretion. Dietary crude protein content and milk fat content were negatively related to Ca excretion. Magnesium intake, feed Mg content and milk yield were positively and linearly related to Mg excretion. Selenium content of diet and dry matter intake were linearly and positively related to Se excretion. Two sets of models were developed using or excluding the intake variable and both sets of models were evaluated with independent data originating from commercial herd or individual animals. In general, intake measurements improved prediction when evaluated with independent datasets (root mean square prediction error = 8% to 19% vs 14% to 26% of the average observed value). There were substantial mean biases, particularly those evaluated with data from a commercial farm, perhaps due to inaccurate feed intake measurements. Although there was generally good agreement between predicted and observed mineral excretion, model development and evaluation would benefit from an expanded database.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-27
Author(s):  
Ivan Imrich ◽  
Róbert Toman ◽  
Martina Pšenková ◽  
Eva Mlyneková ◽  
Tomáš Kanka ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of environmental housing conditions on the milk yield of dairy cows. Measurements were taken in the summer period from June to September 2020 and in the winter period during January 2021 on a large-capacity farm of Holstein Friesian cattle. Cows were housed in free stall barn with the lying boxes and selected during the second or third lactations, in the summer period from the 51st day to the 135th day and in the winter period from the 64th day to the 120th day of lactation. The average temperature in the housing was 23 °C in summer, and 7.05 °C in winter. The average THI (thermal humidity index) value in summer was 70.43, but during the day the THI values sometimes reached 75. The dairy cows were therefore exposed to heat stress during summer. Increasing THI and temperature values negatively affected the milk yield, as there was a negative correlation between both THI and milk yield (r = -0.641; p <0.01) and temperature and milk yield (r = -0.637; p <0.01). Milk production in winter was at 58.77 kg per day and in summer at 49.55 kg per day. In the summer, the milk had a significantly lower content of fat (p <0.05), proteins (p <0.001), lactose (p <0.001), minerals (p <0.001) and conversely, a higher number of somatic cells (p <0.01). These results show that worse environmental conditions during the summer negatively affected the level of milk yield and the composition of the cows’ milk.


2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 ◽  
pp. 195-195
Author(s):  
O. Hernandez-Mendo ◽  
J. D. Leaver

Reducing the time available for grazing from 20h to 5h daily, and replacing this with access to a maize silage/soyabean meal diet indoors had no significant effect on milk yield in spring (Hernandez-Mendo and Leaver, 1999). Grazing conditions in autumn present additional problems of shorter daylength and accumulated herbage contamination. The objectives were to examine the production and behavioural responses of grazing dairy cows to reducing access to grazing and increasing access to a maize silage/soyabean meal diet offered indoors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Ratchataporn Lunsin ◽  
Suntriporn Duanyai ◽  
Ruangyote Pilajun

Context Several agro-industrial by-products such as oil palm meal could be useful as animal feeds in support of low cost of feed for livestock production. Aims This study investigated the effects of oil palm meal and urea pellet (PMUP) as a protein replacement for soybean meal (SBM) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, rumen fluid characteristics, milk yield and milk composition in lactating dairy cows. Methods Five multiparous, early to mid-lactation, Holstein-Friesian crossbred dairy cows (75% Holstein-Friesian × 25% Thai Native Bos indicus) were randomly allocated in a 5 × 5 Latin square design to receive PMUP replacement for SBM at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% in concentrate. Key results The results show that roughage, total dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) intakes in the cows fed with 25–75% PMUP were significantly higher than in the cows fed 100% PMUP (P &lt; 0.05), whereas the ether extract (EE) intake of the cows receiving the PMUP was higher than that of the control (P &lt; 0.05). Accordingly, the apparent digestibility, ruminal ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) of cows fed with PMUP replacement of SBM at 25–75% was higher than that in cows fed with 100% PMUP. In addition, milk yield and milk composition were not significantly different among treatments, whereas feed costs per kg milk yield was lowest in cow fed with 100% PMUP (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusions Replacing SBM with PMUP up to 50–100% in concentrate could reduce costs of feed per kg milk yield, but lower feed intake, nutrient utilisation and rumen fermentation were observed in cow fed with 100% PMUP. The use of PMUP from 25–75% replacement of SBM had no significant effects on the feed intake, nutrient utilisation, rumen fermentation and milk production. Therefore, the level of PMUP replacement of SBM in concentrate for lactating dairy cow should not exceed 75%. Implications PMUP could be used as a protein replacement for SBM in concentrate for lactating dairy cows. These findings should be applied further in practical farm condition in order to increase livestock production efficiency.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document