Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dlnhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T09:01:23.540Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The feeding system impacts relationships between calving interval and economic results of dairy farms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

A.-C. Dalcq ,
Y. Beckers ,
P. Mayeres ,
E. Reding ,
B. Wyzen ,
F. Colinet ,
P. Delhez  and
H. Soyeurt
A.-C. Dalcq*
Affiliation:
Department of AgroBioChem, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Y. Beckers
Affiliation:
Department of AgroBioChem, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium Terra Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
P. Mayeres
Affiliation:
Walloon Breeding Association, 4 rue des Champs Elysées, 5590 Ciney, Belgium
E. Reding
Affiliation:
Walloon Breeding Association, 4 rue des Champs Elysées, 5590 Ciney, Belgium
B. Wyzen
Affiliation:
Walloon Breeding Association, 4 rue des Champs Elysées, 5590 Ciney, Belgium
F. Colinet
Affiliation:
Department of AgroBioChem, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
P. Delhez
Affiliation:
Department of AgroBioChem, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium Terra Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium National Fund for Scientific Research (FNR-FNRS), 5 rue d’Egmont, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
H. Soyeurt
Affiliation:
Department of AgroBioChem, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium Terra Teaching and Research Centre, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 2 Passage des Déportés, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The calving interval (CI) can potentially impact the economic results of dairy farms. This study highlighted the most profitable CI and innovated by describing this optimum as a function of the feeding system of the farm. On-farm data were used to represent real farm conditions. A total of 1832 accounts of farms recorded from 2007 to 2014 provided economic, technical and feeding information per herd and per year. A multiple correspondence analysis created four feeding groups: extensive, low intensive, intensive and very intensive herds. The gross margin and some of its components were corrected to account for the effect of factors external to the farm, such as the market, biological status, etc. Then the corrected gross margin (cGMc) and its components were modelled by CI parameters in each feeding system by use of GLM. The relationship between cGMc and the proportion of cows with CI<380 days in each feeding group showed that keeping most of the cows in the herd with CI near to 1 year was not profitable for most farms (for the very intensive farms there was no effect of the proportion). Moreover, a low proportion of cows (0% to 20%) with a near-to-1-year CI was not profitable for the extensive and low intensive farms. Extending the proportion of cows with CI beyond 459 days until 635 days (i.e. data limitation) caused no significant economic loss for the extensive and low intensive farms, but was not profitable for the intensive and very intensive farms. Variations of the milk and feeding components explained mainly these significant differences of gross margin. A link between the feeding system and persistency, perceptible in the milk production and CI shown by the herd, could explain the different relationships observed between the extent of CI and the economic results in the feeding groups. This herd-level study tended to show different economic optima of CI as a function of the feeding system. A cow-level study would specify these tendencies to give CI objectives to dairy breeders as a function of their farm characteristics.

Keywords

calving intervaldairyeconomicfeeding
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 12 , Issue 8 , August 2018 , pp. 1662 - 1671
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2017 

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

Arbel, R, Bigun, Y, Ezra, E, Sturman, H and Hojman, D 2001. The effect of extended calving intervals in high lactating cows on milk production and profitability. Journal of Dairy Science 84, 600–608.Google Scholar
Auldist, MJ, O’Brien, G, Cole, D, Macmillan, KL and Grainger, C 2007. Effects of varying lactation length on milk production capacity of cows in pasture-based dairying systems. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 3234–3241.Google Scholar
Brocard, V, Portier, B, Francois, J, Tranvoiz, E and Brun, T 2013. Extended calving intervals (18 months ) for dairy cows: technical and economical consequences. Rencontre Recherche Ruminants 20, 273–276.Google Scholar
Craplet, C and Thibier, M 1973. Traité d’élevage moderne :la vache laitière volume 5, pp. 26–161. Vigot Freres Paris, Paris, France.Google Scholar
Delany, KK, Macmillan, KL, Grainger, C, Thomson, PC, Blache, D, Nicholas, KR and Auldist, MJ 2010. Blood plasma concentrations of metabolic hormones and glucose during extended lactation in grazing cows or cows fed a total mixed ration. Journal of Dairy Science 93, 5913–5920.Google Scholar
De Vries, A 2006. Economic value of pregnancy in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 3876–3885.Google Scholar
Durocher, J and Roy, R 2008. S’attaquer à l’intervalle de vêlage. Le Producteur de Lait Québécois février 20–22.Google Scholar
Espinasse, RI, Le Lan, B and Deparcy, L 1997. Economic consequences of different calving intervals in dairy cow. Rencontre Recherche Ruminants 4, 159.Google Scholar
Esslemont, RJ, Kossaibati, MA and Allcock, J 2001. Economics of fertility in dairy cows. In Proceedings of recordings and evaluation of fertility traits in UK Dairy Cattle, 19–20 November 2001, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, pp. 5–14.Google Scholar
Gengler, N 1996. Persistency of lactation yields: a review. Interbull Bulletin 12, 87–96.Google Scholar
Grainger, C, Auldist, MJ, O’Brien, G, Macmillan, KL and Culley, C 2009. Effect of type of diet and energy intake on milk production of Holstein-Friesian cows with extended lactations. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 1479–1492.Google Scholar
Groenendaal, H, Galligan, DT and Mulder, HA 2004. An economic spreadsheet model to determine optimal breeding and replacement decisions for dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 2146–2157.Google Scholar
Inchaisri, C, Jorritsma, R, Vos, PLAM, van der Weijden, GC and Hogeveen, H 2010. Economic consequences of reproductive performance in dairy cattle. Theriogenology 74, 835–846.Google Scholar
Inchaisri, C, Jorritsma, R, Vos, PLAM, van der Weijden, GC and Hogeveen, H 2011. Analysis of the economically optimal voluntary waiting period for first insemination. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 3811–3823.Google Scholar
Kay, JK, Phyn, CVC, Roche, JR and Kolver, ES 2009. Extending lactation in pasture-based dairy cows. II: Effect of genetic strain and diet on plasma hormone and metabolite concentrations. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 3704–3713.Google Scholar
Kolver, ES, Roche, JR, Burke, CR, Kay, JK and Aspin, PW 2007. Extending lactation in pasture-based dairy cows: I. Genotype and diet effect on milk and reproduction. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 5518–5530.Google Scholar
Laloux, L, Bastin, C and Devroede, L 2009. Un intervalle vêlage court, un objectif intéressant pour les hautes productrices. Wallonie Elevages 2, 14–16.Google Scholar
Lehmann, J, Fadel, JG, Mogensen, L, Kristensen, T, Gaillard, C and Kebreab, E 2016. Effect of calving interval and parity on milk yield per feeding day in Danish commercial dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science 99, 621–633.Google Scholar
Němečková, D, Stádník, L and Čítek, J 2015. Associations between milk production level, calving interval length, lactation curve parameters and economic results in Holstein cows. Mljekarstvo 65, 243–250.Google Scholar
Osterman, S and Bertilsson, J 2003. Extended calving interval in combination with milking two or three times per day: effects on milk production and milk composition. Livestock Production Science 82, 139–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palm, R 1996. La classification numérique: principes et application. Notes de Statistique et d’informatique 1996/1. Faculté universitaire des Sciences agronomiques. Centre de Recherches agronomiques, Gembloux, Belgium.Google Scholar
Pérez-Cabal, MA and Alenda, R 2003. Lifetime profit as an individual trait and prediction of its breeding values in Spanish Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 4115–4122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prendiville, R, Pierce, KM, Delaby, L and Buckley, F 2011. Animal performance and production efficiencies of Holstein-Friesian, Jersey and Jersey×Holstein-Friesian cows throughout lactation. Livestock Science 138, 25–33.Google Scholar
Rotz, CA, Zartman, DL and Crandall, KL 2005. Economic and environmental feasibility of a perennial cow dairy farm. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 3009–3019.Google Scholar
Schmidt, GH 1989. Effect of length of calving intervals on income over feed and variable costs. Journal of Dairy Science 72, 1605–1611.Google Scholar
Sorensen, A and Knight, CH 2002. Endocrine profiles of cows undergoing extended lactation in relation to the control of lactation persistency. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 23, 111–123.Google Scholar
Sørensen, JT and Østergaard, S 2003. Economic consequences of postponed first insemination of cows in a dairy cattle herd. Livestock Production Science 79, 145–153.Google Scholar
Williams, SRO, Clarke, T, Hannah, MC, Marett, LC, Moate, PJ, Auldist, MJ and Wales, WJ 2013. Energy partitioning in herbage-fed dairy cows offered supplementary grain during an extended lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 484–494.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed