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
This research investigated the milk yield, reproductive traits and productive life of Holstein-Friesian cows born in Turkey<br />or imported from Italy and raised on farms involved in the Turkish-ANAFI Project. A total of 2600 records for age at first<br />calving, 4733 completed lactati...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2010-01-01
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| Series: | Italian Journal of Animal Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.aspajournal.it/index.php/ijas/article/view/147 |
| Summary: | This research investigated the milk yield, reproductive traits and productive life of Holstein-Friesian cows born in Turkey<br />or imported from Italy and raised on farms involved in the Turkish-ANAFI Project. A total of 2600 records for age at first<br />calving, 4733 completed lactation records from 2080 cows, and 1130 productive life (from first calving to disposal)<br />records from 50 farms in the provinces of I•zmir, Manisa and Aydın under the Turkish-ANAFI Project were evaluated. Least<br />squares means for age at first calving, 305-day milk yield, lactation milk yield, lactation duration, days open, days dry,<br />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.<br />Corresponding least squares means for cows born in Turkey and imported from Italy were 28.8 and 27.6 months<br />(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<br />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<br />of Holstein-Friesian cows in herd-book herds under the project in the Aegean Region was satisfactory. However, there<br />were reproductive problems as shown by the length of days open. Shorter productive life of cows born in Turkey compared<br />to cows from Italy suggested that breeders tended to cull locally born cows at a younger age but that they tended<br />to keep imported cows in the herd for a longer period unless serious problems occurred. |
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| ISSN: | 1594-4077 1828-051X |