• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.3.1-3.7
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• 2017

Background: The modelling of lactation curve provides guidelines in formulating farm managerial practices in dairy cows. The aim of the present study was to determine the suitable non-linear model which most accurately fitted to lactation curves of five lactations in 134 Gir crossbred cows reared in Research-CumDevelopment Project (RCDP) on Cattle farm, MPKV (Maharashtra). Four models viz. gamma-type function, quadratic model, mixed log function and Wilmink model were fitted to each lactation separately and then compared on the basis of goodness of fit measures viz. adjusted $R^2$, root mean square error (RMSE), Akaike's Informaion Criteria (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC). Results: In general, highest milk yield was observed in fourth lactation whereas it was lowest in first lactation. Among the models investigated, mixed log function and gamma-type function provided best fit of the lactation curve of first and remaining lactations, respectively. Quadratic model gave least fit to lactation curve in almost all lactations. Peak yield was observed as highest and lowest in fourth and first lactation, respectively. Further, first lactation showed highest persistency but relatively higher time to achieve peak yield than other lactations. Conclusion: Lactation curve modelling using gamma-type function may be helpful to setting the management strategies at farm level, however, modelling must be optimized regularly before implementing them to enhance productivity in Gir crossbred cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1231-1236
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• 2005

Genetic parameters for first lactation milk production based on test day (TD) records of 56319 Iranian Holstein cows from 655 herds that first calved between 1991 and 2001 were estimated with restricted maximum likelihood method under an Animal model. Traits analyzed were milk yield and milk fat percentage. Heritability for TD records were highest in second half of the lactation, ranging from 0.11 to 0.19 for milk yield and 0.038 to 0.094 for milk fat percentage respectively. Estimates for lactation records for these traits were 0.24 and 0.26 respectively. Genetic correlations between individual TD records were high for consecutive TD records (>0.9) and decreased as the interval between tests increased. Estimates of genetic correlations of TD yield with corresponding lactation yield were highest (0.78 to 0.86) for mid-lactation (TD3 to TD8). Phenotypic correlations were lower than corresponding genetic correlations, but both followed the same pattern. For milk fat percentage no clear pattern was found. Results of this study suggested that TD yields especially in mid-lactation may be used for genetic evaluation instead of 305-day yield.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.695-698
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• 2002

Performance data (from 1985 to 2000) of Jersey cattle imported from USA and maintained at Islamabad, Pakistan were evaluated. The purpose of this study was to assess the genetic merit of Jersey breed under Pakistani environment for further propagation. Cows with at least two calvings were considered for this study; records on 50 daughter-dam pairs were available on production and reproduction performance traits for genetic evaluation. The average age at first calving in parents was $25.2{\pm}2.4$ m as compared to $23.9{\pm}6.6$ m in progeny. Calving interval in parents and progeny was $416{\pm}74$ and $446{\pm}105$ d; lactation length $301{\pm}51$ and $325{\pm}73$ d; lactation milk yield $2,908{\pm}669$ and $2,707{\pm}903$ lit respectively. All these differences were found to be statistically significant except lactation length. The correlations between age at first calving and total lactation milk was -0.25, between calving interval and total lactation milk yield was 0.14, and between lactation length and total lactation milk yield was 0.79. The $h^2$ of these traits were low indicating important role of environment in expressing the genetic potential of animals. The S.E of $h^2$ of all the traits was high due to large variation in data.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.8.1-8.14
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• 2016

In this research data representing 72,946 primiparous cows from 724 herds with 638,063 total test day records calved between 2001 and 2011. These data were analysed to determine the effect of age at first and season of calving on parameters of the Wood lactation curve. Also, genetic trend of the lactation curve parameters in different calving years were evaluated. The results indicate that the highest rate of atypical lactation curve was related to cows that calved in summer (28.05 %). The maximum phenotypic relationship between initial milk yield and total 305-d milk yield was observed in cows calved in spring (0.40). The role of peak yield is more than peak time on 305-d total milk yield in primiparous Holstein. One month increase in age at first calving from 18 to 26 month raised 305-d milk yield by around 138 kg and from 27 to 32 month decreased by 61 kg. The persistency of lactation between 101 and 200 days is higher than that of 201-305 days. Our results indicate that the shape of lactation curve is largely dependent on the season of calving (higher level of milk production in cows which calved in autumn and winter). The heritabilities of parameters of lactation curve and persistency measures were low. The genetic trends for peak time, peak yield and 305-d milk yields were positive and estimated to be 0.019, 0.021 and 8.13 kg/year respectively. So the range from 24 to 26.5 month of calving is the optimum calving time in primiparous Holstein for maximizing 305-d milk yield.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.949-956
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• 2021

Objective: This study was focused on the estimation of parameters of Wood's model and description of the lactation curve using the cows which were lactated over 24 months on the first lactation. Methods: The database included 1,333 pure-bred dairy Simmental primiparous cows which lactated for 24 months (732 days). The initial dataset entering the procedure of assessment of parameters of Wood's function included 35,826 milk yield records. Milk yield was recorded throughout lactation, with the earliest record taken on day 6 and the latest on day 1,348 of lactation. This dataset was used for the assessment of parameters a, b, c of Wood's model using the non-linear statistical procedure. These parameters were estimated for different length of lactation. The assessed parameters were used for calculation of some characteristics of lactation curves. Results: The lowest value of a parameter (15.2317) of Wood's model of lactation curve was found out in lactations up to 305 days long, contrary to b and c parameters which were highest in those lactations (0.1029 and 0.0015, respectively). The maximum value of a parameter (17.4329) was found out in lactations up to 640 days long, unlike b and c parameters which were minimal in those lactations (0.0603 and 0.0010, respectively). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the parameters of Wood's model and the shape of lactation curve are changing with the growing number of milk yield records. Also, the assessed parameters revealed a significant milk production potential after 305 days of lactation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 1988

Daily milk yield estimates were obtained on 74 lactations of 35 Japanese Black cows on weeks 1 to 9, 11, 13, 17, 21 and 26 postpartum using the weigh-suckle-weigh method. The data obtained were analyzed by least-squares procedures according to the models including the following effects; dam, lactation number, season of calving, week of experiment and partial regressions on the lactation number. The overall mean and standard error for daily milk yield was $4.55{\pm}0.04\;kg$. The milk yield declined essentially linearly throughout the experimental period. The main effects of lactation number, season of calving and week of experiment were highly significant. Differences in daily milk yield among cows were significant, and the repeatability was estimated as $0.60{\pm}0.06$. The overall means(kg) and repeat-abilities of cumulative milk yield for 1, 4, 9, 13, 17, 21 and 26 weeks postpartum were 41, 0.08; 166, 0.40; 361, 0.61; 503, 0.66; 632, 0.67; 749, 0.65 and 884, 0.58; respectively. The means of calf weight at birth and 26 weeks weight for different lactations ranged from 25.5 to 33.6 kg and 145.6 to 185.4 kg, respectively. Calf daily gains between experiment weeks were low in earlier stages of lactation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.890-894
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• 2002

The accuracy of the gamma function to describe lactation curve of Yankasa ewes was investigated using milk production data obtained from 168 ewes with either complete or incomplete 84 day lactation records. Ewes were daily hand milked after over-night separation from lamb and thorough disinfection of the udder. The daily milk yield on the average was estimated from the weekly total yield. The effect of type of birth, parity, season of birth and lactation length on the components of lactation curve (a, b, c and s) were analysed by least-square procedures. All factors except parity significantly (p<0.01) influenced the curve parameters. The goodness of fit of the function did not differ between the two classes of varying duration of lactation; incomplete lactation however, showed a lower persistency and as expected lower level of production. Correlations ($r_p$) between lamb weight gain and milk yield using the weight records from lamb weighed at weekly intervals indicated a high and positive relationship in the early lactation that decreased in intensity as the lactation advanced.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.540-572
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• 2011

The present review focuses on the effects of energy intake on performance, changes in body tissue during lactation, and metabolic parameters in dairy cows. Especially, pre-partum nutrition and its influence on lactation are emphasized. In recent decades the increase in genetic potential of dairy cows has increased milk yield. This fact sharpens the problem of a negative energy balance in early lactation because the amount of energy required for maintenance and milk production exceeds the amount of energy cows can consume. Around parturition, reduced feed intake reinforces the situation. Continuing negative energy balance causes decreasing milk yield, fertility problems, and incidence of metabolic diseases. Hence, the cow has to rely on body reserves that were stored in late lactation and the dry period. It is evident that the nutritional status pre-partum acts as the key factor for milk yield and fertility parameters in the following lactation. Cows overfed during the foregoing gestation and which have gained large quantities of body fat have lower dry matter intake along with the need to mobilize larger quantities of body reserves in lactation. The milk yield in the following lactation is lower than in cows fed according to their requirements. Cows restrictively fed in late gestation have a higher feed intake in lactation and a lower mobilization of body reserves. The effect of energy intake post-partum plays only a minor role for performance parameters in lactation. Lipid mobilized from body reserves makes a substantial contribution to the energetic cost of milk production in early lactation and adipose tissue undergoes specific metabolic alterations. Adipose tissue is degraded to free fatty acids, which are used in liver for energy purposes. High lipid mobilisation promotes the development of a fatty liver and therefore a reduced gluconeogenesis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.7-10
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• 2002

The breeding data relating to Hariana herd spread over 18 years (1979-96) were analysed to estimate genetic, phenotypic and environmental changes in characters of economic importance which might have taken place during the several years of selective breeding practiced in the herd. The average genetic changes in a given character were estimated by four methods. The phenotypic trends observed for different economic traits were not significant. On changing the method of estimation, magnitude and direction of genetic trends changed. Comparison of estimates of genetic trends by different methods showed that adjustments for biases due to non-random allotment of dams with respect to their age and merit suggested by Powell and Freeman (1974) were useful for increasing the precision of the estimates. Hence, this method was found to be the best method for estimation of genetic trends. The estimate of genetic trends by this method were 4.03${\pm}$6.21 days, 3.24${\pm}$5.33 kg, 0.15${\pm}$0.43 days, 0.09${\pm}$0.59 days, 0.01${\pm}$0.02 kg and 0.01${\pm}$0.01 kg for age at first calving, first lactation milk yield, first lactation length, first calving interval, first lactation milk yield per day lactation length and first lactation milk yield per day of calving interval, respectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.179-184
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• 2005

First lactation records (174) of Jersey${\times}$Sahiwal and Holstein Friesian${\times}$Sahiwal half breds under 9 sires maintained at Chandra Shekher Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India from 1975-1983, were used to estimate the genetic parameters and to predict herd life milk yield and average milk yield per day of herd life from first lactation traits. The traits included were: age at first calving, first service period, first lactation period, first calving interval, first lactation milk yield, milk yield per day of first calving interval, herd life milk yield, herd life and average milk yield per day of herd life. Most of the production and reproduction traits were found to have positive and significant correlations between them on genetic as well as phenotypic scales. Total twelve regression equations were fitted. The prediction equation of herd life milk yield in both the genetic groups showed linear relationship with AFC, FSP, FLP, FLMY and MY/DCI and was apparent and significant. Similarly, polynomials for milk yield per day of herd life for J${\times}$S and HF${\times}$S half breds also showed linear trend, which was found highly significant. The highest and lowest $R^2$ values were found for FCI and AFC, respectively.