the objective of this study was to estimates the genetic and environmental components for the lactation curve parameters, milk yield, age at first calving (afc), calving interval (ci) and somatic cell count (scc) in iranian holstein cows. the dataset consisted of 210625 test day records from 25883 cows with milk yield in the first parity recorded from july 2002 to september 2007 in a total of 9...

This 4-yr study was conducted with Angus (A)-sired and Polled Hereford (PH)-sired crossbred heifers that were exposed to either A or medium-frame Brahman (B) bulls from primiparous calvings either as 2- or 3-yr-olds. Each year, heifers were allotted at random within breed composition and age of dam to breeding groups on pasture for an 84-d breeding period that began in late March or early April...

Trends since 1980 for calving age and calving interval, 2 factors that influence herd life, were examined by parity for 5 breeds of US dairy cattle. Calving data were from cows with records that passed edits for USDA genetic evaluations and were in herds that remained on Dairy Herd Improvement test. First-calf heifers calved at progressively younger ages over time, but the age decline was less ...

Daily milk records of 88 cows in a multibreed dairy herd were used to describe lactation curves and test the ability of seven models to predict daily milk yields, and accumulated 100-d and 305-d milk yields. The seven mathematical models were a gamma function, a mixed log second-degree polynomial model, and five polynomial regression models. Cows were of three breed groups: Holstein Friesian (H...

The benefits of early weaning during instances of environmental strain, usually witnessed by a shortage of summer forage, has been understood and practiced for many years. However, the use of early weaning as a normal, annual management practice for beef cows is not common. Our interest in the topic originated from the common production practice in the Southeast, which allowed heifers to develo...

A questionnaire was sent to 1500 randomly selected dairy herds in Sweden, asking for general information about the herds, including routines from birth to first calving and also routines at breeding, calving and during the grazing period. Fifty-eight percent of the questionnaires were returned. The preweaned calves were kept in individual calf pens in 68% and in group housing systems in 28% of ...