Relationships between Body Weight and Milk Yield, and Factors Affecting Related Traits in Holstein cows

Year 2021, Volume: 38 Issue: 3, 173 - 179, 31.12.2021

Ertuğrul Kul Samet Hasan Abacı Ali Ayhan Barut

https://doi.org/10.13002/jafag4798

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the relationships between body weight (BW) and milk yield, and post-partum BW and their changes during parity and stage of lactation in Holstein cows. This study was conducted on a private dairy cattle farm in Kastamonu province in the Mid-Black Sea Region of Turkey. The study material included 2133 records from 273 Holstein cows calved between 2016 and 2017 years. Parity (from 1 to 5) and stage of lactations (from 1 to 10) were used to be environmental factors affecting traits. The effect of parity and stage of lactation on BW and milk yield were significant (P<0.05). BW and milk yield increased with advancing lactation until the fourth parity, then declined in the fifth parity. The lowest BW was observed in the first two months of lactation, and it increased linearly with following lactation periods. Milk yield was low in the first month of lactation and then decreased linearly until the end of lactation. Correlations between BW and milk yield were all positive and ranged from 0.201 to 0.588. BW changes in early to mid-lactation were phenotypically correlated with milk yield. Finally, based on the findings in present study, it is suggested that monitoring BW change in early and mid-lactation can be used as a management tool to improve the milk yield in dairy herds.

Keywords

Holstein, body weight, milk yield, parity, stage of lactation

Holstein İneklerde Canlı Ağırlık ile Süt Verimi Arasındaki İlişkiler ve İlgili Özellikler Üzerine Etkili Faktörler

Abstract

Bu çalışma Holstein ineklerde canlı ağırlık (CA) ile süt verimi ve doğum sonrası CA arasındaki ilişkileri ve bunların laktasyon sırası ve laktasyon dönemlerindeki değişimlerini araştırmak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Bu çalışma, Türkiye'nin Orta Karadeniz Bölgesi'nde Kastamonu ilinde bulunan özel bir süt sığırcılığı çiftliğinde yürütülmüştür. Çalışma materyalini, 2016 ve 2017 yılları arasında buzağılayan 273 Holstein ineğinin 2133 kaydını oluşturmaktadır. Laktasyon sırası (1-5 arası) ve laktasyon dönemi (1-10 arası) özellikleri etkili çevresel faktörler olarak kullanılmıştır. CA ve süt verimi üzerine laktasyon sırası ve laktasyon döneminin etkisi önemlidir (P<0.05). CA ve süt verimi laktasyonun ilerlemesiyle dördüncü laktasyona kadar artmış, ardından beşinci laktasyonda düşmüştür. En düşük CA laktasyonun ilk iki ayında gözlenmiş ve sonraki laktasyon dönemleri ile doğrusal olarak artmıştır. Süt verimi laktasyonun ilk ayında en düşük ve daha sonra laktasyonun sonuna kadar doğrusal olarak azalmıştır. CA ve süt verimi arasındaki korelasyonların tümü pozitiftir ve 0.201 ile 0.588 arasında değişmiştir. Erken ve orta laktasyon dönemindeki CA değişimleri süt verimi ile fenotipik olarak ilişkilidir. Sonuç olarak, bu çalışmadaki bulgulara dayalı olarak, erken ve orta laktasyonda CA değişiminin izlenmesinin, süt sığırcılığı sürülerinde süt verimini iyileştirmek için bir yönetim aracı olarak kullanılabileceği önerilmektedir.

Keywords

Holstein, canlı ağırlık, süt verimi, laktasyon sırası, laktasyon dönemi

References

• Banos G, Brotherstone S and Coffey MP (2005). Genetic profile of total body energy content of Holstein cows in the first three lactations. Journal of Dairy Science, 88(7): 2616-2623.
• Bayram B, Güler O, Yanar M and Akbulut Ö (2006). Relationships among body weight, body measurements and estimated feed efficiency characteristics in Holstein Friesian cows. Journal of Tekirdag Agricultural Faculty, 3(1): 64-67.
• Berglund B and Danell B (1987). Live weight changes, feed consumption, milk yield and energy balance in dairy cattle during the first period of lactation. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, 37(4): 495-509.
• Berry DP, Buckley F, Dillon P, Evans RD, Rath M and Veerkamp RF (2002). Genetic parameters for level and change of body condition score and body weight in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 85(8): 2030-2039.
• Berry DP, Lee JM, Macdonald KA, Stafford K, Matthews L and Roche JR (2007). Associations among body condition score, body weight, somatic cell count, and clinical mastitis in seasonally calving dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 90(2): 637-648.
• Cinar M, Serbester U, Ceyhan A and Gorgulu M (2015). Effect of somatic cell count on milk yield and composition of first and second lactation dairy cows. Italian Journal of Animal Science, 14(3646): 105-108.
• Cobanoglu Ö, Kul E, Gürcan E, Cankaya S, Abacı S and Ulker M (2019). Influence of some environmental factors on milk yield and milk components traits in Jersey cows. Fresenius Environmental Bulletin, 28(9): 6516-6520.
• Çobanoglu Ö, Gurcan EK, Cankaya S, Kul E, Abaci SH and Ülker M. (2017). Effects of lactation month and season on test-day milk yield and milk components in Holstein cows. Indian Journal of Animal Research, 51(5): 952-955.
• Domecq JJ, Skidmore AL, Lloyd JW and Kaneene JB (1997). Relationship between body condition scores and milk yield in a large dairy herd of high yielding Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 80: 101–112.
• Erdem H, Atasever S and Kul E (2015). Relations of body condition score with milk yield and reproduction traits in Simmental cows. Large Animal Review, 21: 231-234.
• Gallo L, Carnier P, Cassandro M, Mantovani R, Bailoni L, Contiero B and Bittante G (1996). Change in body condition score of Holstein cows as affected by parity and mature equivalent milk yield. Journal of Dairy Science, 79(6): 1009-1015.
• Koenen EPC (2001). Selection for body weight in dairy cattle. Doctoral thesis. Animal Breeding and Genetics Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, p.1-8, ISBN: 90-5808-361-6, The Netherlands.
• Koenen EPC, Groen AF and Gengler N (1999). Phenotypic variation in live weight and live-weight changes of lactating Holstein-Friesian cows. Animal Science, 68(1): 109-114.
• Krovvidi S, Panneerselvam S, Thiruvenkadan AK, Abraham J and Vinodkumar G (2013). Factors effecting milk composition of crossbred dairy cattle in Southern India. International Journal of Food, Agriculture & Veterinary Sciences, 3: 229-232.
• Kul E and Erdem H (2018). Relationships between milk insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentration and body condition score with reproductive performance and milk yield in Jersey cows. Large Animal Review, 24(2): 65-70.
• Kul E, Sahin A, Atasever S, Ugurlutepe E and Soydaner M (2019). The effects of somatic cell count on milk yield and milk composition in Holstein cows. Veterinarski Arhiv, 89(2): 143-154.
• Kul E, Şahin A, Uğurlutepe E and Soydaner M (2020). Association of change in body condition score with milk yield and reproduction traits of Holstein Cows Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 30(2): 305-311.
• Mostert BE, Theron HE and Kanfer FHJ (2001). The effect of calving season and age at calving on production traits of South African dairy cattle. South African Journal of Animal Science, 31(3): 205-214.
• Oni OO, Adeyinka IA, Afolayan RA, Nwagu BI, Malau-Aduli AEO, Alawa CBI and Lamidi OS (2001). Relationships between Milk Yield, Post-Partum Body Weight and Reproductive Performance in Friesian x Bunaji Cattle. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, 14(11): 1516-1519.
• Pawar HN, Kumar GR and Narang R (2012). Effect of year, season and parity on milk production traits in Murrah buffaloes. Journal of Buffalo Science, 1(1): 122-125.
• Poncheki JK, Canha MLS, Viechnieski SL and Almeida RD (2015). Analysis of daily body weight of dairy cows in early lactation and associations with productive and reproductive performance. Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia, 44: 187-192.
• Řehák D, Volek J, Bartoň L, Vodková Z, Kubešová M and Rajmon R (2012). Relationships among milk yield, body weight, and reproduction in Holstein and Czech Fleckvieh cows. Czech Journal of Animal Science, 57(6): 274-282.
• Roche JR, Lee JM, Macdonald KA and Berry DP (2007a). Relationships among body condition score, body weight, and milk production variables in pasture-based dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 90(8): 3802-3815.
• Roche JR, Macdonald KA, Burke CR, Lee JM and Berry DP (2007b). Associations among body condition score, body weight, and reproductive performance in seasonal-calving dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 90(1): 376-391.
• Santolaria P, Lopez-Gatius F, Sánchez-Nadal JA and Yaniz J (2012). Relationships between body weight and milk yield during the early postpartum period and bull and technician and the reproductive performance of high producing dairy cows. Journal of Reproduction and Development, 58(3): 366-370.
• Spicer LJ, Tucker WB and Adams GD (1990). Relationship between energy balance, insulin-like growth factor-I and estrous behaviour during early lactation in dairy cows. Animal Science Research Report, Agricultural Experiment Station, Oklahoma State University, (MP-129): 338-345.
• Uribe H and González H (2018). Variances between cattle postpartum body weight and dairy traits in a pastoral system in Chile. Chilean Journal of Agricultural and Animal Sciences, 34(3): 266-274.
• Veerkamp RF and Brotherstone S (1997). Genetic correlations between linear type traits, food intake, live weight and condition score in Holstein Friesian dairy cattle.