CORRELATION BETWEEN BODY CONDITION SCORE (BCS) AND INDICATORS OF MILK PRODUCTIVITY OF DAIRY COWS IN THE SETTING OF «AINA» DAIRY FARM» LLP
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52269/22266070_2023_3_83Keywords:
Body Condition Score, milk productivity, Holstein breed, fat and protein content, somatic cellsAbstract
This article presents the findings of research on the relationship between the Body Condition Score (assessment of fatness) and indicators of milk productivity (fat, protein, milk yield, somatic cells) of dairy Holstein cows managed by Aina Dairy Farm LLP. In total, 4 groups of cows were formed. The data were collected monthly during the control milking, from October 2022 to February 2023. Regular assessment of the body condition can be used as an effective tool in the management of the milking herd.
During the study, we found that the average herd BCS reached 2.97, and this score is within the normal range. The analysis of milk composition showed a relatively high fat and protein content in the milk, along with an exceeding of the acceptable somatic cell counts. The research findings, in addition to correlation analysis, demonstrated a link between BCS and milk productivity. Lower BCS values hinder the full unlocking of the genetically hardwired productivity potential, as evident from the average daily milk yield of the herd, which amounts to around 17 kg.
