Milk Production and Persistence of Crossbred Holstein Cows in the Province of Chimborazo

Abstract

Abstract This study evaluated the milk production and persistence of the crossbreed Holstein cow during lactation. The study was conducted at the Balcashi and Chambo herds located in the Chimborazo province at an altitude of 2980 m.s.n.m. and an average temperature of 11ºC. The research included 88 first-time heifers maintained on a rotational grazing system inside an electric fence. The feeding was based on Lolium multiflorum, Dactylis glomerata, and Trifolium pratensis. Milk production was recorded and analyzed by lactation thirds, peak, and persistence using descriptive statistics. Weekly production was measured using the fifth-order regression model. The results showed that in the first third of lactation, the production was 1559.75 ± 181.25 liters of milk, the cost per feed consumption of $1.91, an income of 5.32 dollars per day, and a benefit of 2.78. The curve of production in the first lactation, productivity, and weekly increase responded to a fifth-order model. The authors concluded that the best feed conversion, weekly production, income, and cost-benefit were reached in the first third of lactation.

Keywords

• lactation, persistence, peak production, third lactation.