A Research on Milk Yield, Persistency, Milk Constituents and Somatic Cell Count of Red Holstein Cows Raised under Mediterranean Climatic Conditions

H. YILMAZ and A. KOC
Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Science, 09100 Aydin, Turkey

Abstract

YILMAZ, H. and A. KOC, 2013. A research on milk yield, persistency, milk constituents and somatic cell count of red Holstein cows raised under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 19: 1401-1407

 

Phenotypic and genetic parameter estimation of lactation length (LL), 305 days milk yield (305-dMY) and persistency traits (P_2:1, P_3:1, P_3:2 and P_Tomax) of Red Holstein (RH) cows reared at a dairy cattle farm under the Mediterranean climatic conditions were estimated. In addition, the effects of environmental factors on milk constituents and somatic cell count (SCC) of RH were determined. The averages of LL, 305-dMY, P_2:1, P_3:1, P_3:2 and P_Tomax calculated from 362 lactation records were 353.0±3.73 d, 7652.8±80.68 kg, 86.9±0.77%, 62.1±1.12%, 70.7±1.01% and 5.1±0.05, respectively. The heritabilities estimated by using individual animal model for these traits were determined to be 0.14±0.08, 0.44±0.06, 0.19±0.07, 0.31±0.07, 0.28±0.07 and 0.23±0.07, respectively. The averages of milk protein content (MPC) and Log10SCC for RH cows calculated from the analysis of 202 milk samples were 3.2±0.03% and 63.753 cells/mL, respectively. It can be said that RH cows had higher milk yield and better udder health status than some other breeds reared in the region. Due to higher temperature and relative humidity in summer under the Mediterranean climatic conditions, some precautions need to be taken against heat stress on this form and the dairy farms in the region.

Key words: persistency, 305-days milk yield, heritability, milk protein content, somatic cell count
Abbreviations: 305-dMY: 305 day milk yield, BS: Brown-Swiss, h2: heritability, HF: Holstein-Friesian, LL: Lactation length, LMY: Lactation milk yield, M: Montbeliarde, MLC: Milk lactose content, MPC: Milk protein content, NFDMC: Non-fat dry matter content, P_2:1: Milk yield produced between 101 and 200 days of lactation divided into the first 100 days of milk yield, P_3:1: Milk yield produced between 201 and 300 days of lactation divided into the first 100 days of milk yield, P_3:2: Milk yield produced between 201 and 300 days of lactationdivided into the yield produced between 101 and 200 days of the lactation, P_Tomax:  305-dMY divided into the first 50 days yield of the lactation, RH: Red-Holstein, SCC: Somatic cell count, STMY: Sampling time milk yield

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