Relationships among body condition score, milk yield and reproduction in Czech Fleckvieh cows

F. Jílek, P. Pytloun, M. Kubešová, M. Štípková, J. Bouška, J. Volek, J. Frelich and R. Rajmon
Additional contact information
F. Jílek: Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
P. Pytloun: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic
M. Kubešová: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic
M. Štípková: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic
J. Bouška: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic
J. Volek: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic
J. Frelich: Department of Special Livestock Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
R. Rajmon: Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

Czech Journal of Animal Science, 2008, vol. 53, issue 9, 357-367

Abstract: The objective of this study was to confirm the relationship among body condition score at the time around parturition, milk yield in subsequent lactation, reproductive efficiency and BCS development in Czech Fleckvieh dairy cows. The BCS and milk yield were measured once a month and the cows were divided into groups according to their BCS before and after calving. Next, data from the database of cattle reproduction of the Czech Fleckvieh herd book were used. The dataset was analyzed by multifactorial analysis of variance using procedures COOR and GLM of the statistical program SAS. Cows with lower BCS in the 1st month after calving showed an increase in both milk yield and fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) yield. No significant relationship was found between the BCS level before calving and subsequent milk yield. The body condition level in the last month before parturition influenced its subsequent decrease in the first phase of lactation. The group of cows with the highest BCS level before calving retained a high BCS level in the first five months of lactation. Adequately, the group of cows with the lowest BCS in the first month of lactation had the lowest BCS in the next four months. BCS before calving was not related to reproduction indicators, but the significant effect of BCS in the 1st month after calving on the length of calving to the first service interval was confirmed. The group of cows with BCS > 3.5 in the 1st month after calving had the most favourable reproduction indicators, also when the milk yield level was taken into account.

Keywords: Czech Fleckvieh; body condition score; milk yield; reproduction indicators; BCS development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:53:y:2008:i:9:id:335-cjas

DOI: 10.17221/335-CJAS

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