Tag Archives: milk productivity

369–375 L. Cielava,, D. Jonkus and L. Paura
Lifetime milk productivity and quality in farms with different housing and feeding systems
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Lifetime milk productivity and quality in farms with different housing and feeding systems

L. Cielava¹,*, D. Jonkus¹ and L. Paura²

¹ Latvia University of Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Agrobiotechnologies, Lielā 2, LV-3001 Jelgava, Latvia
² Latvia University of Agriculture, Faculty of Information Technologies, Department of Control systems, Lielā 2, LV-3001 Jelgava, Latvia
*Correspondence: lasma.cielava@llu.lv

Abstract:

Housing and feeding systems in farms are main factors that affects cow milk productivity and its quality. The largest proportion of Latvian farms are small farms with tie stall housing system and grazing in summer. The aim of our study was to determine to what extent different housing and feeding systems affect the milk productivity, quality and cow longevity characterizing traits of Latvian dairy cows. In study we analysed 3,179 Holstein Black and White (HBW) and Latvian Brown (LB) breed cows from which 2,383 were located in 2 farms with loose housing system and TMR feeding and 796 cows were located in 8 small farms with tie stall housing system and different feed in summer and winter periods. The average daily milk yield significantly higher (p < 0.05) were in farms with loose housing system – 23.53 kg ECM, but in farms with Tie stall housing system was obtained 18.46 kg ECM per day. HBW breed cows characterized with lower somatic cell count in milk than Latvian brown in both housing systems. The highest somatic cell count in milk was obtained from third lactation LB breed cows in Tie stall housing system (249.11 thous. in 1mL-1 milk) and the lowest from HBW cows in loose housing system (127.57 thous. in 1mL-1 milk). Cows in smaller farms characterized with longer lifespan – 2,098.7 and 1,890 days for large farms, but lifetime milk productivity was significantly higher in farms with loose housing system where was obtained 21,315.9 kg ECM whereas in Tie stall system farms average life productivity was 19,740.2 kg ECM.

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