The subject of this research was to determine the effect of the housing system on quality of welfare of dairy cattle in Serbia. Study was realized on six farms, capacity of 30 to 900 cows, with loose and tie housing system. Assessment of the welfare quality parameters was done by using the Welfare Quality ® Assessment Protocol for Cattle, 2009. Results of the research show that the welfare quality of dairy animals is under the significant effect of housing system, and that loose system has the advantage when it comes to comfort around resting, easy of movements and health condition of cows. Share of not lame cows (81%) and cows with no lesion (86%) was significantly higher (p<0.01) in loose system. Indicator values: duration of lying down movements (6.53 sec), lying down movements with collisions (18.7%) and lying outside lying area (28.4%) in tie system were significantly higher (p<0.01) compared to loose system indicating the inadequacy of the housing and lack of comfort. Analysis of indicators associated with cow hygiene (dirty legs and udder) and diseases (dystocia) points to significant gaps in management in both housing systems which represent significant threat to cow welfare quality.
This study covered 737 controlled first calving Simmental cows with, lactations concluded within one year. All first calving animals were on the farms of individual farmers in the municipalities of Kragujevac and Mladenovac. The research included the influence of bull sires, year and season of calving on milk yield and fertility. Least squares method was used to determine the average duration of lactation of 323.74 days. For a period of 305 days, heifers produced 3701.67 kg of milk, or 3644.58 kg of 4% FCM. The average production of milk fat was 144.26 kg and milk fat content was 3.88%. The interval from calving to first insemination lasted in average 124.19 days, and the animals were first calved at the age of 789.95 days. The bull sires had a highly significant effect (P<0.01) on the duration of lactation, milk yield and 4% FCM, milk fat yield and content and age of cows at first calving. The duration of service period was not under significant effect (P>0.05) of bull sires. Year of calving had a significant effect (P<0.01) on the duration of lactation, production of milk, milk fat and 4% FCM. Milk fat content, service period and age at first calving did not show significant variation due to the impact of different years of calving (P>0.05). Season of calving of cows demonstrated highly significant effect (P<0.01) on the production of milk and 4% FCM, and significant (P>0.05) on the production of milk fat, however it had no effect (P>0.05) on the milk fat content, duration of lactation and service period and age at calving.
Life of modern people in urban conditions is characterized by lack of movement, which is main condition for maintenance of health, presence of large amount of additives and pesticide residua in food of plant and animal origin and polluted air and water. If the presence of oxidative stress is added as part of normal metabolism occurring during degradation of nutritive substances, when great quantity of free radicals is released, which organism in these conditions often is not capable of neutralizing, the homeostatic mechanisms are disturbed and this leads to health disturbances and even severe illnesses. In such complex living conditions, science is facing the challenge of finding out the way to prevent diseases and slow the aging process using food, primarily basic food stuffs - milk and meat, enriching them with certain substances which are of vital importance to our health. One of the ways is use of functional food which should contain not only its main nutritive value but also such ingredients which have impact on improvement of general health condition, i.e. they have preventive and therapy effect. In this paper, a review of the significance of omega-3 fatty acids in human nutrition is presented. As essential substances they cannot be synthesized in the organism, but have to be introduced through diet. Also, the significance of some essential omega-6 fatty acids as well as their mutual relation, are presented. The role of omega-3 fatty acids in animal nutrition is also pointed out in this paper, introduced or consumed by animals either by grazing or as diet supplement, which influence improvement of their production, reproduction and health performances.
It is general knowledge that management influences results in cattle production to the highest extent, and that the culling of cows is a very good indicator of the success of farm management. A comparison of results of culling for first calving cows on farms with various levels of production in 2011 established differences both for the number of culled animals and the reasons for culling. On farms with higher levels of production, the share of first calving cows in overall culling was 25.9% or 4.5% less than on farms with a lower level of production, i.e. 4.8% less died, and 0.7% first calving cows had to be slaughtered, while 5.6% more first calving cows were culled for economic reasons. At both levels of production, dominant reasons for culling were diseases of the legs and hoofs, which can be linked to the tie stall system (more pronounced on farms with higher production) and metabolic disorders (more dominant on farms with lower production). Reproduction was a more considerable problem on farms with higher milk production, while culling due to selection was more pronounced on farms with lower production. In early lactation of first calving cows, regardless of the level of production, dominant reasons for culling on farms are leg and hoof problems and metabolic disorders (total: 55% i.e. 55.9%). When reasons for culling of first calving cows after 100 days of lactation are investigated, on farms with high production the significance of diseases of legs and hoofs remains almost unchanged, but culling due to reproduction grows to 28%. On farms with lower production, culling due to leg and hoof diseases is considerably reduced after 100 days of lactation, however culling due to selection is tripled (62%).
The study of the production capacities of cattleaimed at increase of the capacity of cattle to produce milk, milk fat and calves, greatly depends on pehotypic anf genetic variability, heritability and correlation between preferable traits, as well as level of production in the population. Objective of the study was to calculate the variability, phenotypic and genetic correlation of milk and type traits by applying the method of linear scoring of cows in the nucleus herd of Holstein-Friesian bull dams and also to determine their significance in cattle selection. For all studied traits, main variation-statistical parameters were calculated by applying method of least squares: arithmetic mean, standard deviation, variation coefficient, standard error and variation interval. Negative phenotypic correlations between production of milk and type traits ranged from-0.12 (rear leg set, side view) to-0.01 (rump height and body depth) and positive from 0.03 (rear teat placement) to 0.23 (suspensory ligament). Phenotypic correlations between milk fat percentage and type traits varied in the range from-0.08 (fore teat placement) to 0.14 (rump height). Negative genetic correlations between milk production and type traits ranged from-0.11 (rear udder height) to-0.01 (rump width and dairy form), and positive from 0.03 (rear legs set, rear view) to 0.23 (suspensory ligament). Genetic correlations between the percentage of milk fat and type traits ranged from-0.15 (pelvic position) to 0.18 (rump height). Information about phenotypic and genetic correlations between milk and type traits can be of multiple significance in cow selection since it offers possibility to select heads of cattle for multiple traits at the same time.
Problems which relate to production, health and reproduction in herds of high yielding cows very often occur due to insufficient knowledge and monitoring of energy reserves in cow organisms. Many researches and practical experiences in this field indicate significant relation between body condition and achieved results in production. Body condition of heads of cattle in certain stages of production cycle is important parameter of applied nutrition, but also entire technological procedure. In countries with developed cattle production, evaluation of body condition has for several years been main component of production practice on farms. It is considered that condition is very reliable indicator of the nutrition status and energy balance in the organism. Body condition score is subjective and practical method which enables precise assessment of deposited fat in the cow organism by observing and touching previously determined body regions and fields. There is considerable variability of the condition of cows in different stages of production cycle. Body condition of high yielding cows often comes out of the frame of optimal values for certain stage of production cycle. Decrease of production, disorders in health condition and fertility of cows indicate the nature of relation between inadequate body condition and stated problems. Shape and strength of the relation between production results and body condition score confirms its reliability. This is all indication of the need for wider application of this evaluation system. Based on body condition score, beside other important factors in the production cycle, there is realistic possibility to achieve more efficient production of milk from the aspect of energy. Main purpose of this paper was to present how the application of methods for body condition score and its significance for production practice can be functional.
Black and White low land dairy cattle have very pronounced ability for high production of milk. Fertility is the major trait of cattle and key factor in successful milk production. Fertility traits have pronounced variability and low heritability value. Fertility is regularly limiting factor in attempts to increase the milk yield. Age of dairy cattle at first conception is one of the major reproduction properties. Age of calves at first calving depends mainly on age at first conception. Previous researches have indicated what would be the optimum age at first conception of Black and White heifers. Age at first conception is determined by the date of birth and date of first conception. Knowledge of the strength of the environment factors on age at first conception in high yielding cows is important from the aspect of their inclusion into the model. According to the significance of individual systematic factors, their objective assessment was carried out for the purpose of accurate evaluation of obtained results. Objective of this paper is to study the age at first conception of high yielding Black and white cows through major systematic influences, by applying adequate methodology. Cows comprising the studied sample (n=331) belong to European type of Black and White dairy cattle in final stage of improving of this breed with Holstein-Friesian breed. Average age of dairy cattle at first conception was 491.19±9.36 days or 16.15±0.31 months. According to cows' the values were following: 479.31 days (> 73% HF), 486.12 days (58-73%HF) and 508.14 days (< 58% HF).
Investigation of the production capacity of cattle for the purpose of increase of milk and milk fat production, as well as number of calves, greatly depends on phenotypic and genetic variability, heritability and correlation between desired traits, and on production level in the population. This research included 3.461 first calving cows of Simmental breed under control and reared on farms of individual agricultural producers on the territory of Republic of Serbia. Genetic correlations were calculated using equation of mixed model which included the effect of bull-sire, breeding region, year and season of calving: Y ijklm = μ + B i + R j + G k + S l + e ijklm. Coefficients of genetic correlation between service period and milk traits were following: duration of lactation 0,239, milk yield 0,089, percentage of milk fat 0,095, quantity of milk fat 0,105 and yield of 4%FCM 0,099. Correlation between service period and age at calving was 0,535. Genetic correlation between age at calving and milk traits was following: duration of lactation 0,245, production of milk 0,003, percentage of milk fat 0,531, quantity of milk fat 0,082 and production of 4%FCM 0,050.
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