Milking Temperament and Its Association with Test-Day Milk Yield in Bulgarian Murrah Buffaloes

The goal of this research was to evaluate milking temperament and its relationship with test-day milk (TDMY0) yield in Bulgarian Murrah buffaloes. This study involved 90 buffalo cows reared under a tie-stall production system which were milked twice a day with a milking pipeline. The behavioral responses of the buffaloes were reported during preparation for milking and during actual milking. The average temperament score during preparation for milking was 1.83, and 1.93 during milking itself. The most common reaction was leg lifting (18.9%), followed by cows moving on the stall bed (10%), definite kicking (9.9%), and 13.3% managing to remove the milking cluster during milking. The frequency of buffaloes showing adverse reactions (scores 4 and 5) increased considerably during milking compared to preparation for milking. Repeated scoring of temperament during the same lactation did not show a significant difference in the frequency of temperament assessments both in preparation for milking and during milking. The minimal difference may be due to the accuracy of the assessment or a momentary change in the condition of the animals during the two scorings. Cows with the most unwanted milking behavior (scores 5 and 4) had the highest LS means for TDMY, 8.18 kg and 7.65 kg, respectively. The reasons for these buffaloes remaining until later lactations was their high milk yield and the injection of oxytocin before milking, which helps them to be fully milked

Agricultural Academy

abstract GerGovska, Z., Y. Mitev, t. anGelova, D. YorDanova and t. Miteva, 2011. effect of changes in body condition score on the milk yield of Holstein-Friesian and Brown swiss cows. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., the effect of BCs at calving, loss of BCs, the duration of loss after calving and the reached minimum BCs during lactation on milk yield for 305 days have been studied. the object of study are 37 cows, of which 20 Holstein and 17 Brown swiss ones. the cows from both breeds are reared together with the same technology and nutrition. the body condition score of cows has been recorded on a monthly basis by using a 5-grade scoring system and accuracy of recording up to 0.5 points. BCs at calving, loss of BCs and the duration of loss after calving have significant effect on milk yield. The reached minimum BCS during lactation has no significant effect. in the Holstein cows BCs before calving is lower (2.8 points), loss of BCs is greater (1.95 points) and longer (3.8 months compared to the Brown cows (3.0, 1.75 and 2.8, respectively). Cows from both breeds with higher BCS (≥3.5 points), with greater loss of BCS after calving (≥2.5 points) and longer loss of BCS at the beginning of lactation (≥5 months) have the highest milk yield for a 305-day lactation

Risk Factors for Hock Lesions Occurrence in Dairy Cows

The aim of the study was to investigate the risk factors for formation of hock lesions in dairy cattle farms with different housing system. The study included 508 Black‑and‑white Holstein‑type cows from 14 dairy farms in different regions of Bulgaria. On cows a hock lesion assessment (scale 1 to 3) and body condition scoring (scale 1 to 5) were made. From the total number of cows, 231 cows (45.5 %) with score of 2 and 3 were reported, which clinical manifestation was from loss of hairs on the hock joint surface to swellings and wounds. A statistically significant effect of lactation period, body condition scores (BCS) and housing system on the hock assessment score was found. The least square means (LSM) for hock assessment score increased with the advancing of lactation period from 1.22 in cows to 60 days in milk (DIM) to 1.52 in cows after 120 DIM. The percentage of cows with BCS 3 and 3.5 was lower 1.5 to 2 times compared to cows with BCS 1.5. With the lowest mean hock assessment score (1.14), were the cows housed free group on a thick bedding. Tie‑stall housing system occupied an intermediate position with respect to hock assessment, only 1.4 % of cows were with a score of 3. The highest percentage of cows with varying degrees of hock lesions were reported in free‑stall housing system with using of rubber mats for stall floors, 75.5 % of the cows were with hock lesion assessment score 2 and 3. This percentage was slightly lower when small amounts of straw were placed on the rubber mats

Animal hygiene assessment of microclimate in semi open free-stall barns for dairy cows

Abstract. The study was conducted in three semi open free-stall barns (B1, B2, and B3) for dairy cows with capacities for 120, 120 and 500 cows, respectively, from three different dairy farms (F-1, F-2 and F-3), situated in Central Southern Bulgaria. The investigated farms had the same production system – loose housing in semi open free-stall dairy barn. For each of the farms the main microclimatic parameters – air temperature, relative humidity and speed of airflow were recorded twice a month at 10.00 h 12.00 h, 14.00 h, 16.00 h and 18.00 h of the day inside the barns in three main technological zones - above the stalls, above manure and feed alleys and outside the buildings. It was found that: a) Microclimatic parameters (air temperature, air relative humidity and speed of airflow) in technological zones (above the stalls, the manure and feed alleys) of three semi open free-stall dairy barns meet the animal hygienic requirements for all seasons according to Regulation No. 44 (2006). Exceptions are some values of relative humidity in B1 and B2 in the spring, and in B1 in winter and summer, which are lower than the minimum humidity (50%) according to the standard. b) The investigated barns are characterized with poor insulation and do not provide enough isolation from the external ambient temperatures. With the exception of winter, the temperature of the air inside the buildings was lower than that outside, with minor differences for all seasons. The fans in the barns have no effect on the inside air temperature, especially in summer. There was a risk of higher temperatures mainly during the summer period. c) There is no significant difference between the average temperatures, air humidity and speed of airflow in all technological zones of the investigated barns. d) The largest and statistically significant is the difference between the relative air humidity outside and inside the building in Farm 3, followed by buildings in Farm 1 and 2, where the differences are smaller and statistically insignificant. e) Factor analysis revealed a significant effect: of the farm on temperature in the different technological zones in the barns (P <0.05-0.01); of the farm in the zones of manure and feed alleys (P <0.001) and less effect in the zone of stalls (P <0.05) on speed of airflow, the factor season on speed of airflow in all zones (P <0.001), the time of recording in the zone of manure alley on speed of airflow (P <0.05); the farm, season and time of recording on the humidity in the three technological zones (P <0.001)

Personality and production: Nervous cows produce less milk

The objective of this study was to investigate relationships between animal personality (i.e., consistency in behavioral responses, also called temperament) and milk production in dairy cows. There has recently been a growing research interest in animal personality, which in production animals can have an important impact on welfare and production potential. Despite this, the relationship between personality and milk production in dairy cows remains unclear. Here we investigate links between behavioral responses during milking and in personality tests (responses to novel object and social isolation) with milk production in 2 breeds of dairy cattle, Swedish Red and White and Holstein. The milk production parameters investigated were energy-corrected milk (in kg) for the cows first lactation and energy-corrected milk for their current lactation. Overall, cows that stepped more during milking or spent more time facing the herd during social isolation produced less milk in their first lactation. Cows that vocalized more during isolation had a lower current milk production. Variation in other behavioral responses showed limited relationships with milk production. Taken together, our results support a relationship between behavioral responses and milk production, where cows showing signs of nervousness produce less milk. However, observed relationships are dependent on the milk measure used, behavior, and breed investigated, supporting that the relationship between behavior and production traits is not straightforward