Z. GERGOVSKA1, T. MITEVA1, T. ANGELOVA2, D. YORDANOVA2 and J. MITEV1
1 Trakia University, Faculty of Agriculture, BG - 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
2 Agricultural Institute, BG - 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
GERGOVSKA, Z., T. MITEVA, T. ANGELOVA, D. YORDANOVA and J. MITEV, 2012. Relation of milking temperament and milk yield in Holstein and Brown Swiss cows. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 18: 771-777
The study comprises 118 cows, of which 69 Holstein-Friesian and 49 Brown Swiss ones. The cows from both breeds are reared by the same technology – free with individual cubicles for rest and milking in milking parlour, herringbone type. To assess the temperament a 5-score system is used: 1 – very nervous and 5 – very calm cows. The average score for milking temperament in the Holstein cows is slightly higher than that of the Brown Swiss ones, 3.74 to 3.65, respectively. The cows with a nervous type of temperament, scores 1 and 2, comprise a relatively high percentage, and they are slightly more in the Holstein – 15.9% than in the Brown Swiss cows – 12.2%. The average milking yield of the nervous and very nervous cows is higher than that of the medium to very calm ones. That difference is greater in the Holstein cows – 744.8 kg compared to the Brown Swiss ones - 445.2 kg. The ranking correlation (Spearman) of the breeding bulls for the dairy trait and the percentage of daughters with scores from 3 to 5 and breeding value for milking temperament score is respectively rs = - 0.21 and rs = - 0.10.