Short- and long-term effects of high milking frequency during the first 21 days of lactation on production and reproductive performance in high-lactating cows

Abstract

We examined short-and long-term effects of high milking frequency (HMF) for the first 21 days of lactation. The study included 122 Israeli Holstein cows -32 pregnant heifers, 40 cows in second lactation and 50 cows in >second lactation. Heifers were paired according to predicted transmitting ability and cows according to energy-corrected milk (ECM) production, age, days in milk and expected calving date. Thin cows (body condition score < 2.75) were not included. One cow from each pair was arbitrarily allocated to a control group milked three times daily (3× milking cows) and the counterpart to an experimental group milked six times daily for the first 21 days of lactation and then three times daily for the rest of the lactation (6× milking cows). During the first 21 days of lactation, 6× milking cows produced 9.3 kg more milk (26.5%) and 7.16 kg more ECM (19%) than the 3× milking cows. The higher milk production persisted throughout the entire lactation (305 days), as reflected by treatment × age interaction showing higher milk production for the first and second (7%) but not >second lactation cows relative to their control counterparts (−0.37%); ECM production was also higher in 6× milking first and second lactation (7.6% and 5%, respectively) but not for >second lactation cows. Furthermore, HMF had long-lasting effects, expressed as significantly higher milk production through the succeeding lactation in the previous first lactation cows (10%); a tendency toward significance in the second lactation cows relative to the controls (4.7%), but a deleterious effect on the >second lactation cows, reflected by lower milk production (−5.25%) than in controls; similar patterns were found for the ECM. For the entire 305 days of lactation, fat and protein yields were higher for first and second lactation cows, whereas protein yield for >second lactation cows was lower in the 6× milking v. control group. Given that HMF during the first 21 days of first or second lactation increases milk and ECM yields throughout the concurrent and successive lactation with no adverse effect on energy balance, mastitis, metabolic diseases or reproduction, it seems to be economically beneficial. However, caution should be paid for >second lactation cows due to absence of significant effect in the entire of the first HMF applied lactation and the deleterious effect in the succeeding lactation.Keywords: frequent milking, milk production, fertility, metabolic status ImplicationsThis work examined the effect of milking six times daily during the first 21 days of lactation on production and reproduction. Increasing milking frequency to six times daily for the first 21 days of lactation increased milk and energycorrected milk (ECM) yields throughout the experimental period and later, during the entire lactation, for first and second lactation cows. This effect persisted in the succeeding lactation. No adverse affect was found concerning energy balance, mastitis, metabolic diseases or reproduction. Collectively, it seems that this practice will ec...

The effects of incomplete milking and increased milking frequency on milk production rate and milk composition1

“…Although a flattened lactation curve appeared for half-udders subjected to IM, we did not examine the effects of incomplete milking after we terminated our treatment protocol at 47 DIM. A positive carryover effect of IMF during early lactation on milk production has been observed previously (Bar-Peled et al, 1995;Soberon et al, 2011;Shoshani et al, 2017). Because IMF involves more frequent removal of milk from the mammary gland and incomplete milking involves removing a smaller volume of milk, it can be reasoned that incomplete milking could have a negative carryover effect on milk production.…”

Symposium review: The role of adipose tissue in transition dairy cows: Current knowledge and future opportunities

“…Moallem et al ( 2019) compared 2× with 3× milking in the first 30 DIM and found improvements in energy balance without lasting negative effects on milk production when cows were milked 2×. Increase in milking frequency from 3× to 6× in the first 21 DIM has been investigated by others (Shoshani et al, 2017), with long-lasting increases in milk production in cows milked 6×. Effects on BCS were parity dependent with a lower BCS in the 6× group in second-lactation cows only.…”

Graduate Student Literature Review: Understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying mastitis

“…Additional emphasis has been given to milking machine effects and examining the resistance of the teat canal itself to bacterial invasion, considering factors such as overmilking, milk flow, vacuum level, liner slips, and pulsation (Thompson et al, 1978;Natzke et al, 1982;Baxter et al, 1992;Lacy-Hulbert and Hillerton, 1995;Wieland et al, 2018). Research has also focused on the potential dispersal of bacteria in the udder by considering factors such as hand-stripping to remove foremilk and the frequency of udder evacuations (Mein et al, 2004;Shoshani et al, 2017). Other external factors, such as cow age, season, and climate have also been examined for their influence on the occurrence of mastitis (Fox et al, 1995;Bates and Dohoo, 2016;Zhang et al, 2016).…”