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Factors influencing longevity of dairy cows
Project
Project code: II-1-F-50-2007; ZV-2
Contract period: 01.06.2007
- 31.10.2008
Budget: 34,843 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
The project Factors influencing longevity of dairy cows was supported of the Ministry of Agriculture of North Rhine Westphalia running from 2007-06-01 until 2008-10-31. The thesis was that there must be a high influence of environment on longevity in dairy cows because the heritability is estimated about 5 to 10 %. Comparing management tools on dairy farms on which old and high performance cows live we should be able to find some patterns which could explain such success. 31 farms were selected with 19 to 172 cows (average was 77). There had to be old cows (8 lactations onwards) with high lifetime production (60 000 kg ECM and more). Using questionnaires for the farmers we got detailed information about housing, feeding and health management of the herd as well as of 73 special old cows. There were no unique patterns of handling the cows (dry as well as lactating), heifers or calves with exception that nearly all farmers used pasture for cows, heifers and young cattle. The farms differed in housing systems, feeding regimes, birth observation, hoof care, calves rearing. In spite of all the differences in herd management factors all farms resulted in old cows with high lifetime production.The reasons for the reduction of longevity in dairy cattle over the last years have to be searched for by another approach of holistically basis. Maybe there is a relationship to high protein supply resulting in high urea-level in blood.
Section overview
Subjects
- Agricultural Technology Animal Production
