Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T08:46:21.813Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Association between age at first calving, year and season of first calving and milk production in Holstein cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 August 2012

E. Froidmont ,
P. Mayeres ,
P. Picron ,
A. Turlot ,
V. Planchon  and
D. Stilmant
E. Froidmont*
Affiliation:
Production and Sectors Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Rue de Liroux 8, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
P. Mayeres
Affiliation:
Walloon Association of Breeding, Rue des champs Elysées 4, 5590 Ciney, Belgium
P. Picron
Affiliation:
Production and Sectors Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Rue de Liroux 8, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
A. Turlot
Affiliation:
Production and Sectors Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Rue de Liroux 8, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
V. Planchon
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Natural Environment Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Rue du Bordia 4, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
D. Stilmant
Affiliation:
Production and Sectors Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Centre, Rue de Liroux 8, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The effects of first calving (FC) in Holstein heifers on their first lactation, second lactation and lifetime milk production were examined from an initial database of 459 743 animals that first calved between 1 January 1990 and 31 July 2010 in Wallonia, Belgium. The FC age class (18 to 22, 22 to 26, 26 to 30, 30 to 34, 34 to 38 and 38 to 42 months), the FC season and FC year class (1990 to 1994, 1995 to 1999, 2000 to 2004 and 2005 to 2010) were considered when analysing the first and second lactation data. Lifetime data were similarly analysed, but did not include animals that calved after 2005 because many of them were still lactating. Only 24% of animals had their FC before 26 months of age. Animals that first calved between 22 and 26 months of age had more lactations and productive days during their life. They also had higher first and second lactation milk production and lifetime milk production. Summer or autumn FC improved first lactation, second lactation and lifetime milk production, as well as production per day of lactation, compared with winter or spring FC. Compared with animals that calved for the first time in 1990 to 1994, animals with a FC in 2000 to 2004 had a longer calving interval (0.5 months), fewer lactations per animal (−0.6) and fewer days in their lifetime lactation (a reduction of 144 days). As a result, the animals’ lifetime production did not increase between 1990 to 1994 and 2000 to 2004, although milk production per day of lactation (22.85 v. 20.49 l/day) and per day of life (11.49 v. 10.78 l/day) improved. Milk fat content was lower in 2000 to 2004 than in 1990 to 1994, but protein content remained relatively constant, probably because of the cows’ higher production level and increased dietary concentrate supplementation.

Keywords

dairy heifercalving agecalving seasonlongevitycalving interval
Type
Farming systems and environment
Information
animal , Volume 7 , Issue 4 , April 2013 , pp. 665 - 672
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Association Professionnelle des Fabricants d'Aliments Composés pour Animaux (APFACA) 2012. Annuaires statistiques, Retrieved February 27, 2012, from http://www.bemefa.be/AnnualStatistics.aspxGoogle Scholar
Barash, H, Silanikove, N, Weller, JI 1996. Effect of season of birth on milk fat, and protein production of Israeli Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science 79, 1016–1020.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ben Gara, A, Bouraoui, R, Rekik, B, Hammami, H, Rouissi, H 2009. Optimal age at first calving for improved milk yield and length of productive life in Tunisian Holstein cows. American-Eurasian Journal of Agronomy 2, 162–167.Google Scholar
Brickell, JS, Wathes, DC 2011. A descriptive study of the survival of Holstein–Friesian heifers through to third calving on English dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 1831–1838.Google Scholar
Chesnais, J 2007. La génomique, que peut-elle faire pour le producteur laitier ? 31e Symposium sur les bovins laitiers «Repenser nos modèles», Drummondville, QC, Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://www.agrireseau.qc.ca/bovinslaitiers/documents/Chesnais_Jacques.pdfGoogle Scholar
Chester-Jones, H, Linn, J 2005. Effect of nutrition and management of dairy heifers on resultant cow longevity. 66th Minnesota Nutrition Conference and Technical Symposium: Future of Corn in Animal Feed, September 20–21, 2005, St. Paul, Minnesota. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://sroc.cfans.umn.edu/prod/groups/cfans/@pub/@cfans/@sroc/@research/documents/content/cfans_content_115297.pdfGoogle Scholar
Christensen, R 1998. Analysis of variance, design and regression: applied statistical methods. Chapman and Hall/CRC, Boca Raton, FL, USA.Google Scholar
Coulon, JB, Pérochon, L 2000. Evolution de la production laitière au cours de la lactation : modèle de prédiction chez la vache laitière. INRA Productions Animales 13, 349–360.Google Scholar
CVB (Centraal Veevoeder Bureau) 1990. Voedernormen landbouwhuisdieren. [Feed allowances for farm animals, in Dutch]. CVB, Lelystad, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Dahl, GE, Petitclerc, D 2003. Management of photoperiod in the dairy herd for improved production and health. Journal of Animal Science 81 (Suppl. 3), 11–17.Google Scholar
Dagnelie, P 2011. Statistique théorique et appliquée. Tome 2. Inférence statistique à une et à deux dimensions. De Boeck, Brussels, Belgium.Google Scholar
Delaby, L, Peyraud, JL, Delagarde, R 2003. Faut-il complémenter les vaches laitières au pâturage ? INRA Productions Animales 16, 183–195.Google Scholar
Dobson, H, Smith, RF, Royal, MD, Knight, CH, Sheldon, IM 2007. The high producing dairy cow and its reproductive performance. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 42 (Suppl. 2), 17–23.Google Scholar
Ettema, JF, Santos, JEP 2004. Impact of age at calving on lactation, reproduction, health, and income in first-parity Holsteins on commercial farms. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 2730–2742.Google Scholar
González-Recio, O, Pérez-Cabal, MA, Alenda, R 2004. Economic value of female fertility and its relationship with profit in Spanish dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 3053–3061.Google Scholar
Hansen, LB 2000. Symposium: Selection for milk yield. Consequences of selection for milk yield from a geneticist's viewpoint. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 1145–1150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hare, E, Norman, HD, Wright, JR 2006a. Trends in calving ages and calving intervals for dairy cattle breeds in the United States. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 365–370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hare, E, Norman, HD, Wright, JR 2006b. Survival rates and productive herd life of dairy cattle in the United States. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 3713–3720.Google Scholar
Heinrichs, AJ, Losinger, WC 1998. Growth of Holstein dairy heifers in the United States. Journal of Animal Science 76, 1254–1260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoffman, PC 1997. Optimum body size of Holstein replacement heifers. Journal of Animal Science 75, 836–845.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hoffman, PC, Funk, DA 1992. Applied dynamics of dairy replacement growth and management. Journal of Dairy Science 75, 2504–2516.Google Scholar
Hörtenhuber, S, Lindenthal, T, Amon, B, Markut, T, Kirner, L, Zollitsch, W 2010. Greenhouse gas emissions from selected Austrian dairy production systems-model calculations considering the effects of land use change. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 25, 316–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hultgren, J, Svensson, C, Pehrsson, M 2011. Rearing conditions and lifetime milk revenue in Swedish dairy cows. Livestock Science 137, 108–115.Google Scholar
Le Cozler, Y, Peccatte, JR, Porhiel, JY, Brunschwig, P, Disenhaus, C 2009. Pratiques d’élevages et performances des génisses laitières: état des connaissances et perspectives. INRA Productions Animales 22, 303–316.Google Scholar
Maciuc, V 2009. Influence of the calving season on the milk yield given by a Friesian population, imported from The Netherlands. Lucrări Ştiinţifice, Seria Zootehnie 52, 340–344.Google Scholar
Mayeres, P, Gillon, A, Gengler, N 2003. Integrated detection and correction of outliers in a random regression test-day model. Interbull Bulletin 31, 3–7.Google Scholar
Meyer, MJ, Everett, RW, Van Amburgh, ME 2004. Reduced age at first calving: effect on lifetime production, longevity, and profitability. Proceedings of the Arizona Dairy Production Conference, Tempe, Arizona, pp. 42–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, B 2003. Balancing act – research shows we are sacrificing fertility for production traits. Publ. 81-093. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Toronto, Canada.Google Scholar
Nederlands Rundvee Syndicaat (NRS) 2005. Jaarstatistieken 2004. Coöperatie Rundveeverbetering Delta, Arnhem, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Nianogo, AJ, Amos, HE, Froetschel, MA, Keery, CM 1991. Dietary fat, protein degradability, and calving season: effects on nutrient use and performance of early lactation cows. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 2243–2255.Google Scholar
Nilforooshan, MA, Edriss, MA 2004. Effect of age at first calving on some productive and longevity traits in Iranian Holsteins of the Isfahan province. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 2130–2135.Google Scholar
Picron, P, Turlot, A, Froidmont, E, Bartiaux-Thill, N 2009. Incidence of winter feeding, parasitism, and housing on the growth performances of dairy heifers. Proceedings of the 60th Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production, Barcelona, Spain, 337pp.Google Scholar
Pirlo, G, Miglior, F, Speroni, M 2000. Effect of age at first calving on production traits and on difference between milk yield returns and rearing costs in Italian Holsteins. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 603–608.Google Scholar
Porhiel, JY, Brunschwig, P, Jegou, V 2005. Le tour de poitrine, un outil de mesure du développement des génisses laitières Prim'Holstein. Rencontres autour des Recherches sur les Ruminants 12, 346pp.Google Scholar
Ray, DE, Halbach, TJ, Armstrong, DV 1992. Season and lactation number effects on milk production and reproduction of dairy cattle in Arizona. Journal of Dairy Science 75, 1976–1983.Google Scholar
SAS Institute Inc. 2008. SAS/STAT®, user's guide, version 9.2. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Sewalem, A, Miglior, F, Kistemaker, GJ, Sullivan, P, Van Doormaal, BJ 2008. Relationship between reproduction traits and functional longevity in Canadian dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 1660–1668.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Silva, LF, VandeHaar, MJ, Whitlock, BK, Radcliff, RP 2002. Short communication: relationship between body growth and mammary development in dairy heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 85, 2600–2602.Google Scholar
SPW (Service Public de Wallonie) 2011a. Evolution de l’économie agricole et horticole de la Wallonie 2010–2011. Direction générale opérationnelle de l'agriculture des ressources naturelles et de l'environnement, Département de l’étude du milieu naturel et agricole, Direction de l'analyse économique agricole, Namur, Belgium.Google Scholar
SPW 2011b. Prix du lait. Retrieved February 27, 2012, from http://agriculture.wallonie.be/apps/spip_wolwin/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=39Google Scholar
Statbel 2012. Agriculture: Recensement/enquête agricole de mai 2000–2009. Retrieved February 27, 2012, from http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/modules/publications/statistiques/economie/agriculture_recensement_enquete_de_mai.jspGoogle Scholar
Tozer, PR, Heinrichs, AJ 2001. What affects the costs of raising replacement dairy heifers: a multiple-component analysis. Journal of Dairy Science 84, 1836–1844.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2002. Dairy 2002. Part I: Reference of dairy health and management in the United States, 2002. Report N377.1202. National Animal Health Monitoring System, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA, Fort Collins, CO, USA.Google Scholar
Walloon Association of Breeding 2011. Evaluations génétiques des bovins laitiers en Wallonie (Belgique) – trends génétiques. Retrieved February 27, 2012, from http://www.elinfo.be/elinfo/Google Scholar
Wall, E, Brotherstone, S, Woolliams, JA, Banos, G, Coffey, MP 2003. Genetic evaluation of fertility using direct and correlated traits. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 4093–4102.Google Scholar
Wathes, DC, Brickell, JS, Bourne, NE, Swali, A, Cheng, Z 2008. Factors influencing heifer survival and fertility on commercial dairy farms. Animal 2, 1135–1143.Google Scholar