Effect of single and multiple pregnancies on performance of primiparous and multiparous cows
Data on 393 002 parturitions and performance in the following production cycle were collected from the SYMLEK database for 145 457 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows representing the active population in the Pomorze and Kujawy regions. The animals first calved during 2000–2012 and were used or culled by...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2015-03-01
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| Series: | Archives Animal Breeding |
| Online Access: | http://www.arch-anim-breed.net/58/43/2015/aab-58-43-2015.pdf |
| Summary: | Data on 393 002 parturitions and performance in the following production
cycle were collected from the SYMLEK database for 145 457 Polish
Holstein-Friesian cows representing the active population in the Pomorze and
Kujawy regions. The animals first calved during 2000–2012 and were used or
culled by the end of 2013. GLM and FREQ procedures of the SAS package were
used for the statistical calculations. The frequency of twin and triplet births
depended on the cow's age (0.64% in primiparous and 2.88% in
multiparous cows), calving season (1.79% in winter, 2.41% in
summer), previous lactation milk yield (increase of 2.15 to 3.73%
with increasing milk production level), and year of calving of primiparous
cows (increase from 0.43% during 2000–2003 to 0.78% during
2010–2012). Dams of twins were superior to dams of singles in terms of milk
yield, but a significant difference was manifest only in multiparous cows.
Despite the higher perinatal mortality of the twins and triplets (especially
those born to primiparous cows), multiple pregnancy resulted in a greater
number of calves born compared to single pregnancy. A negative effect of
multiple pregnancies was a decrease in fertility, especially in multiparous
cows (e.g. calving interval was longer by 18 days, reproductive rest period
by 9 days, and service period by 10 days, while services per conception
increased by 0.15). In addition, twin pregnancy (especially in heifers) and
triplet pregnancy (especially in cows) considerably decreased chance of
survival until the next calving. |
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| ISSN: | 0003-9438 2363-9822 |