Journal of Central European Agriculture (Sep 2020)
Parameters of lactation shape as related to days-in-milk in buffaloes from two different farming systems
Abstract
Buffaloes from intensive (farm 1 - Fm1; 438 normal, 115 short lactations) and pasture (farm 2 - Fm2; 330 + 58 lactations) system were assigned to study lactation curve via ANOVA (LSMLMW and MIXMDL) per each 10-day period (“tenday”), as well as overall (PI1) and post-peak (PIP) persistency. Greatest is the effect of parity and season, also of year on 2nd-12th tenday. Persistency is affected by parity, year and season of calving, and especially by peak month and DIM (P≤0.001). The curves showed peak averagely at 2nd tenday in both herds. Compared to the buffaloes on pasture, Fm1 has significantly lower milk in initial two and in 15th to 21st tendays, defining slower decline to mid-lactation and faster after that. These differences in the curves predetermine a non-significant difference in PI1 between Fm1 and Fm2 (0.932 and 0.940) and a significant but still small superiority in PIP of Fm2 (0.893) over Fm1 (0.880). The lactations below 210 days are 17.8%, persistency being 0.859 to 0.742, and peak by 17 to 32% worse than normal lactation. Long and very long lactations’ persistency is 0.923 and 0.950. Only very long lactations have а typical curve – 4th tenday peak, by 10% lower than normal lactation.
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