The effect of dairy cow stature on their productivity and longevity
2022
CielavaCielava, Lāsma, Lasma | Jonkus, Daina
The stature of high yielding dairy cows is one of most significant factors that influence their productivity and longevity. In the study, 348 Holstein Black and White breed dairy cows from LBTU farm “Vecauce” were included. Cows were born from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016, and had the body exterior evaluated at least once. From the analyzed animals, 309 were culled, and 39 were still producing milk. During the study, data about cow stature and live weight, productivity traits and longevity was collected. For the study purposes animals were distributed in three groups, depending on their stature at the beginning of the 1st lactation. Energy corrected milk (ECM) and productivity on 100 kg of live weight was calculated for the evaluation of cow milk productivity level. In average, cows in the 1st lactation had stature of 148.3±0.18 cm and it increased by 2.6 cm at the beginning of the 3rd lactation. Cows were living in farm for 1622.9±22.35 days and characterized with 31411.1±849.52 kg ECM per lifetime (18.0±0.28 per life day). The significantly higher (p is less than 0.05) live weight in the 1st and 3rd lactations was determined in the cow group with stature that greater than 150 cm, cows in this group characterized with longer lifespan, higher lifetime and life day milk productivity. However, the cows in this group had significantly (p is less than 0.05) lower productivity level on live weight 100 kg in the 1st and 3rd lactations. Thus it can be concluded that bigger cows in a dairy farm are kept for a longer time and during this time they produced more milk, but they are less efficient than smaller cows.
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