Comparative analysis of milk yield and reproductive traits of Holstein-Friesian cows born in Turkey or imported from Italy and kept on farms under the Turkish-ANAFI project

Abstract

This research investigated the milk yield, reproductive traits and productive life of Holstein-Friesian cows born in Turkey or imported from Italy and raised on farms involved in the Turkish-ANAFI Project. A total of 2600 records for age at first calving, 4733 completed lactation records from 2080 cows, and 1130 productive life (from first calving to disposal) records from 50 farms in the provinces of I • zmir, Manisa and Aydın under the Turkish-ANAFI Project were evaluated. Least squares means for age at first calving, 305-day milk yield, lactation milk yield, lactation duration, days open, days dry, and productive life were 28.2 months, 6232 kg, 6829 kg, 336.0 days, 138.0 days, 78.3 days, and 28.9 months, respectively. Corresponding least squares means for cows born in Turkey and imported from Italy were 28.8 and 27.6 months (P<0.01), 6182 and 6281 kg (P>0.05), 6761 and 6897 kg (P<0.05), 333.9 and 338.1 days (P<0.05), 132.7 and 143.4 days (P<0.01), 79.2 and 77.3 days (P>0.10), and 21.6 and 36.1 months (P<0.01), respectively. The level of milk yield of Holstein-Friesian cows in herd-book herds under the project in the Aegean Region was satisfactory. However, there were reproductive problems as shown by the length of days open. Shorter productive life of cows born in Turkey compared to cows from Italy suggested that breeders tended to cull locally born cows at a younger age but that they tended to keep imported cows in the herd for a longer period unless serious problems occurred.

Effects of Environmental Factors on Milk Yield, Lactation Length and Dry Period in Tunisian Holstein Cows

“…The findings of present study were in accordance with those of Ajili et al [12], Boujenane [13], Erdem et al [14], Inci et al [15], Bilgiç & Aliç [16], Duru & Tuncel [21] and Kaya et al [22]. As reported previously [7,20,26], the effect of calving season on milk yield was significant and milk yield was the highest in cows calving in winter.…”

“…The result is closely in accordance with the results of Kaya et al [22] and Catillo et al [33]. The lowest milk yield was obtained from cows calving at 2 years of age and the highest from those calving at 7 years of age.…”

A Study on Milk Yield, Fertility and Milk Quality Characteristics of Primiparous Red-Holstein and Holstein-Friesian Cows

“…In this study, the averages of 305-dMY obtained for RH and HF cows were compared to the averages reported for HF in some previous studies and the means for both breeds were higher than the means reported in other studies (Uzmay et al, 1998;Duru and Tuncel, 2002b;Kaya et al, 2003;Erdem et al, 2007;Çakıllı and Güneş, 2007;Koç, 2011). The average of 305-dMY calculated for HF cows is higher than the average reported by Koç (2001) for the same breed, but the averages found in this study for both HF and RH cows were lower than 305-dMY mean reported for RH by Yılmaz (2010).…”

Comparison of milk yield parameters of imported Estonian and American Holsteins in response to same sire insemination

“…Significant differences were seen when two groups were compared in terms of milk yield parameters (Table 2). Average means for 305-day milk yield was between 8180 and 10851 kg and higher than those reported for Holstein-Friesian cows raised at farms in Turkey (Bademkıran et al, Kaya et al, 2003;Mundan et al, 2006) as well as some other countries (Alimzhanov et al, 2016;Czerniawska-Piatkowska et al, 2007;Eid 2012;Marai et al 1999;Sandhu et al, 2011;Sattar et al, 2005;Topaloğlu and Güneş, 2010).…”

“…Dry period lengths were in accordance with the 60day standard in both groups (65 and 67 days). However, findings of the similar studies showed different values for dry periods such as 78 days (Kaya et al, 2003), 87 days (Sandhu et al, 2011), 192 days (Janžekovic et al, 2009, 225 days (Sattar et al, 2005). These differences might be explained by the management, geographical and herd factors.…”