Cow milk production is determined: what factors affect productivity indicators

The productivity of dairy cows is measured in terms of the amount of milk received during the lactation period. The lactation capacity of cows is divided into four types of productivity: consistently high, unstable high, rapidly declining, and consistently low. The method by which milk production in cows is determined is through control measurements of milk yield.

How to determine the milk production of a cow

The average duration of a cow's lactation is 240 days. Productivity is estimated by milk yield for the general period or its individual segments. More often used the method of evaluation for full lactation.Control measurements are taken every 10 days, and then the average is calculated. A less accurate way of measuring is by the highest milk yield per day. The resulting figure is multiplied by the number of days that make up the duration of lactation.

In breeds of dairy and mixed direction, milk yield is always higher than in meat. Maximum productivity is observed within two months after calving. The relationship between the milk productivity of cows and the duration of their lactation in a breeding farm is shown in the table: First

Second ThirdFourthMilk milk 90788789365 days10507

(in kilograms)	305 days	9091	9091
		10879	10864	10518

A cow's ability to lactate is formed under the interaction of heredity and housing conditions. Fat content and protein content in milk are also inherited. But with favorable or unfavorable external factors, inherited qualities improve or deteriorate.

Factors affecting productivity

The amount of milk yield and the quality of milk are influenced by the breed, physiological characteristics, indoor microclimate and the diet of animals. Early milk production in breeding is beneficial, as it presumably leads to increased economic benefits and a quick return on the cost of raising animals. But often times records are driven by personality rather than early insemination and lactation.

Cow breeds

Indicators of fat content of milk differ depending on the direction of the breed:

• milk - 3.5-3.8 percent fat content, productivity - 5000-7000 liters per year;
• mixed - fat content 3.8-4 percent, annual volume is 4500-5500 liters;
• meat - fat content reaches 4.5 percent, productivity - 1200-2000 liters of milk per year.

The low milk yield of beef cows is due to physiological characteristics. They have a small udder, intended only for feeding calves, a short lactation period. But milk has the highest fat content.

Age of animals

Milk production increases up to four or five years and declines after six. A cow calves for the first time at two years of age. Milk yield in the first lactation is 80 percent. At four years old, it reaches one hundred percent. By age eight, productivity declines by 6 percent.

Early insemination has a negative effect on the development of calves. Babies are born small and produce little colostrum.

Cow body weight

Cow weight affects milk yield.The average weight of dairy cattle during the first lactation should be 400 kilograms. With age, the mass can increase and be 500 kilograms. But the large body weight of first-calf heifers does not affect the amount of milk yield after calving. The influence of the weight category is interconnected with the selection of heifers by weight for the first mating. Also, the criterion for selection for insemination is high growth.

Feeding and maintenance

During pregnancy, start-up and in the first months of lactation, a cow needs a balanced diet rich in protein and calcium. The body of the animal receives enough energy. As a result, milk contains more protein and fat. Feeding silage and fresh hay during the dry season increases productivity.

Physiological factors are interconnected. Normal weight for insemination and lactation is achieved through good nutrition of the calves. Proper feeding develops the stomach, so the animals absorb more food, quickly gain the necessary weight and show high milk production.

Milk production is affected by the way cattle are kept. Tethered cows consume less feed and produce more milk. High humidity and lack of movement in stalling reduce productivity. The best performance is observed in cows on pasture or stall-pasture content.

Date of the first insemination

Cows mature at 10 months. But the sixteenth month is considered a favorable time for insemination. At an earlier age, there are difficulties with bearing the fetus and childbirth. As a result, the first lactation is low and may be accompanied by a delay in the placenta.

Readiness for mating also depends on the weight of the cow. If there is a shortage of mass, insemination is postponed to a later date.

Drying time

To maintain high milk yields, milking must be stopped before calving. In previously calving cows, the launch begins 50 days before calving, in first-calf heifers - 60 days before. The absence of a dry period depletes the body of the cow. As a result, after calving, milk yield is reduced by 25-40 percent. Too long a dry period reduces productivity by 15 percent.

calving season

When grazing, calves are born in the spring. In summer, animals eat fresh grass and receive the necessary vitamins. Also, milk yields increase after winter calving. With stall keeping, calves are born within a year. Such an organization of animal life is associated with a lack of space for keeping a large number of newborns. It is also impossible to stop the conveyor production of milk and provide the entire livestock with a dry period.

The productivity of cows of breeding plants remains at the same level throughout the year and slightly decreases in winter. To maintain high milk yields, the animals are given nutritious feed all year round, adhere to the schedule of mating and calving.

He alth

Diseases that reduce milk yield:

• limb injuries;
• reproductive disorders;
• tuberculosis;
• mastitis.

Loss of milk production due to untreated pathologies is 10-50 percent. Most often, mastitis leads to a decrease in milk production. The disease occurs when infected with a bacterial infection as a result of improper milking and adverse conditions. The milk of mastitis cows is not suitable for consumption by humans and animals due to the content of impurities and bacteria. But the milking is not stopped, because it is very difficult to milk the cow again later.

Spread

Lactation is increased in various ways. The distribution includes the correct organization of the life of animals during the year:

• calf rearing;
• preparation of heifers for childbirth;
• compliance with the schedule and dietary norms during pregnancy and after childbirth;
• correct milking technique.

The milking of a cow begins on the fourteenth day after calving and is carried out for a hundred days. At this time, the animal is given more food. The reception is called advance. It is used as long as there is an increase in milk yield. Then the supplement to the main diet is gradually canceled.

Containment conditions

Stalled animals need to be provided with a comfortable microclimate. Drafts, noise and humidity adversely affect milk yield. Communication also affects milk production. Cows that see each other and communicate produce more milk. On foreign farms, during milking, musical accompaniment is turned on. Contemporary and classical music also improves milk production.

Care

Low milk yields are observed in animals that are rarely cleaned. Wash the udder with warm water before and after milking. Milk-covered nipples collect bacteria from dirty bedding. As a result, mastitis develops. Cleanliness in the stall, clean udders and hands of milkmaids increase milk volumes. Animals must be taken for a walk. The best housing option is considered to be free grazing in summer and stall keeping with short walks in winter.

Number of milkings

The udder is a parenchymal organ that continuously produces milk. The fluid accumulates and presses on the internal tissues. When the udder chambers are full, milk production stops and it is sucked back in.

The volume of production is affected by the capacity of the udder. In meat breeds, it is small, so the frequency of milking has little effect on the amount of milk. Dairy cows are recommended to be milked 2-3 times a day or more often, but at regular intervals.The number of milkings can be increased, but not reduced. Otherwise, the volume of milk is reduced by 15 percent. With an annual production of more than two thousand liters, switching to two-time milking increases the volume of milk by 10 percent.

The number of milkings does not always need to be increased. Productivity records were recorded at two times milking. It is important to observe the technique when expressing milk manually. Soft massage movements improve blood circulation and milk flow in the udder, contribute to its complete emptying.

Features of animals

The duration of the lactation period and milk production for each cow are individual and may differ in animals of the same breed in equal conditions. The response to the frequency of milking depends on individual characteristics.

The shape of the udder and the rate of milk flow affect the amount of milk. Milk is quickly decanted by the apparatus in cows with a rounded bowl-shaped udder or with an oblong tub-like udder. Animals with goat and primitive udder shape are milked by hand due to low milk yield.

Heredity, housing conditions, growing characteristics and breeds have a greater or lesser effect on milk production in different herds. Therefore, in order to increase milk yield, it is necessary to study the relationship between external and internal factors in each particular farm.

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