Performance of small-scale dairy farms in the highlands of central Mexico during the dry season under traditional feeding strategies

Martínez‐García, Carlos Galdino; Rayas-Amor, Adolfo Armando; Anaya-Ortega, J. P.; Martínez-Castañeda, Francisco Ernesto; Espinoza‐Ortega, Angélica; Prospero-Bernal, Fernando; Arriaga-Jordán, Carlos Manuel

doi:10.1007/s11250-014-0724-0

Cited by 31 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Protein content of milk was higher than reports from works in Mexico with small-scale dairy farmers (33,34) , as well as higher than reports from Chile (32) ; but similar to milk protein content from a study in the UK (29) .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Productive and economic response to concentrate supplementation by grazing dairy cows at high stocking

Portillo

López-González

Ruiz‐Albarrán

et al. 2019

Rev. Mex. Cienc. Pecu.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Small-scale dairy systems contribute to ameliorate rural poverty and to local milk supply. Their sustainability is limited by high feeding costs, mainly from purchased concentrates (CC); whereas a higher reliance on quality forage may improve profitability; but high stocking rates may justify high CC use. The objective of this work was to assess the productive and economic response by grazing dairy cows to levels of CC under grazing of ryegrass-white clover pastures under high stocking rate (4 cows/ha). Six Holstein milking cows were replicated assigned 3 X 3 Latin Square arrangements. Daily milk yield and composition were recorded, and feed intake estimated from utilised metabolizable energy. Treatments were: T1= 1.0 kg T6= 3.0 kg and T6= 6.0 kg concentrate/cow/d. There were significant differences (P<0.05) for milk yield, with T6 having higher yields than T1 and T3. There were no significant differences in milk protein or fat content among treatments (P>0.05). Herbage intake was significantly (P<0.05) lower in T6, with no feeding costs, but feeding cost per kg of milk was 2.2 times higher in T6 compared to T1, and margin per kilo of milk was 26 % higher in T1 than T6. Although milk yields are higher with T6, T1 and T3 require less expenditures and margins are similar. Supplementation may alleviate high grazing pressure that deteriorates pastures, ensuring the long-term sustainability of small-scale dairy farming systems.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Productive and economic response to concentrate supplementation by grazing dairy cows at high stocking

Portillo

López-González

Ruiz‐Albarrán

et al. 2019

Rev. Mex. Cienc. Pecu.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Farms with cows on pasture were supplemented with corn stubble or corn silage and commercial concentrates when forage supply was limited. For both groups of cows, management and diets offered were inadequate to fulfill the milk production potential of cows, and were characterized by reduced dry matter intake, incorrect forage:grain ratio, low levels of crude protein, and high levels of NDF and ADF [17,20].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In intensive dairy farms, the conception rate to first service is affected by body condition score (BCS) at calving and at first service [12,13], milk production levels [13,14], milk fat and protein content [15], and lactation number [15]. However, small-scale dairy farms in developing countries have different management and productive characteristics; for example, diets usually are inadequate for maximum milk yield [16,17] and, consequently, these farms are characterized by suboptimum milk production [18]. These constraints impact conception rate to first service in these dairy farms, but the impact of these limitations on cows’ fertility has seldom been studied.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body Condition Score and Milk Production on Conception Rate of Cows under a Small-Scale Dairy System

Montiel-Olguín

Ruiz-López

Mellado

et al. 2019

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Simple SummarySmall-scale dairy farms are important because they generate jobs in rural areas and improve food security, income, and livelihood worldwide. On the other hand, high fertility is strongly associated with the profitability of dairy farms. Therefore, improving reproductive performance would increase milk production and farmers’ incomes. In the present study, we focus on the effect of body condition score (BCS) of Holstein cows at calving and when they are bred for the first time (after calving) on a key reproductive performance indicator: conception rate to first service. Additionally, we studied the association between BCS at calving and milk production, assuming that cows had a moderate genetic potential for milk production. Our results highlight the importance of BCS on the future reproductive performance and productivity of cows in a small-scale dairy system. These results are useful to implement management strategies in order to increase conception rate to first service and milk production in this type of dairy farm.AbstractManagement and production characteristics impact conception rate to first service (CR1S) in small-scale dairy farms, but the impact of body condition score (BCS) and milk production levels on cows’ fertility is unknown. Our objective is to determine the effect of BCS and milk production on CR1S in small-scale dairy farms of western Mexico. Logistic regression models are used to determine the effect of BCS (at calving and first service), 60-d and 305-d milk production, protein and fat production, lactation number, and days at first service on CR1S. BCS at calving does not affect CR1S in cows with three or more lactations (39.5%; p > 0.1). However, first-lactation cows with BCS < 3.0 at calving and second lactation cows with BCS ≤ 2.5 at calving have higher CR1S (63.2 and 67.9%, respectively; p < 0.1). This result is perhaps due to reduced milk production, which leads to lower metabolic stress. BCS ≤ 2.5 at calving is associated (p < 0.05) with a reduced milk yield, explaining partially the observed higher CR1S in these groups. Cows with BCS ≤ 2.5 at first service in the higher quartile of 60-d milk production (≥ 28kg/day) show lower CR1S (23.9 and 51.1%, respectively; p < 0.01). In conclusion, BCS at calving and at first service, 60-d milk production, and lactation number are factors associated with CR1S.

show abstract

“…In Mexico, small-scale dairy production systems (SSDPSs) are considered to be of great importance because of their contribution to cushioning poverty and generating employment (Salas-Reyes et al 2015;Sainz-Sanchez et al 2017). At the national level, this system accounts for 20% of the total economic value of agriculture, 35% of milk production and more than 78% of the country's dairy farms (SAGARPA 2016;Martínez-García et al 2015a;Celis-Álvarez et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Mexico, the first scenario is the subject of a significant number of studies, representing a relevant topic in the sustainability and profitability of the SSDPSs (Albarrán-Portillo et al 2015;Martínez-García et al 2015a;Pincay-Figueroa et al 2016). However, with the increasing acceleration of urban sprawl and its fight for land and crop space, it is necessary to ask what the economic impacts on the private profitability and competitiveness of the SSDPSs of the Valley of Tulancingo, Mexico, would be if they were subjected to regional price parameters in the purchase of food and payment of wages.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of comparative advantages in the profitability and competitiveness of the small-scale dairy system of Tulancingo Valley, Mexico

Posadas-Domínguez

Razo-Rodríguez²,

Almaraz‐Buendía³

et al. 2018

Trop Anim Health Prod

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article combines a Policy Analysis Matrix with a sensitivity and poverty line analysis with the objective of evaluating the economic contribution of comparative advantages to the private profitability and competitiveness of small-scale dairy systems. For 1 year, socioeconomic data were collected from 82 farms selected from four strata via statistical sampling. Two scenarios were established to determine the quantitative contribution of comparative advantages: (1) a simulated scenario, which accounted for the cost of purchasing the total food and the opportunity cost of the family labour force (FLF), and (2) an actual production scenario, which accounted for the cost of producing food and eliminating the payment of the FLF and included other income. The E3 and E4 producers were the most profitable and competitive in the simulated scenario and actual production scenario. Of the four scales evaluated, the E2 and E1 producers were the most efficient in taking advantage of the economic contribution provided by the comparative advantages in their own production of food and employment of the FLF, in addition to accounting for other income, a condition that increased their profitability by 171 and 144% and competitiveness by 346 and 273%, respectively. The poverty results indicated that only E3 and E4 producers were non-vulnerable in the simulated scenario and actual production scenario. The purchase of food was the comparative advantage with the greatest sensitivity to cost increases in the two scenarios analysed, which exacerbated the effect on the E1 and E2 producers.

show abstract

Performance of small-scale dairy farms in the highlands of central Mexico during the dry season under traditional feeding strategies

Cited by 31 publications

References 11 publications

Productive and economic response to concentrate supplementation by grazing dairy cows at high stocking

Productive and economic response to concentrate supplementation by grazing dairy cows at high stocking

Body Condition Score and Milk Production on Conception Rate of Cows under a Small-Scale Dairy System

Evaluation of comparative advantages in the profitability and competitiveness of the small-scale dairy system of Tulancingo Valley, Mexico

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About