Milk yield, composition, and lactation curve models of Bargur cattle under farmers’ production system in their native habitat
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Date
2022
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Abstract
Milk yield and composition traits (fat (%) and SNF (%)) from 1229 test day records of 205 Bargur cattle maintained under
a farmers’ production system were studied. This breed is known for its adaptability to the hilly tracts of Erode District in
Tamil Nadu. Performance recording was done in the natural habitat through the test-day milk yield from lactating cows in
the farmers’ herds. Effects of non-genetic factors like season, year, parity, stage of lactation, and days from calving were
studied using mixed models with animal taken as a random effect. Estimated marginal means for daily milk yield (DMY,
L/day), fat (%), and SNF (%) were 2.05 ± 0.03, 4.08 ± 0.03%, and 8.19 ± 0.01%, respectively. Stage of lactation was highly
significant (P < 0.01) for DMY, fat, and SNF. Season and year were significant for DMY and SNF, where higher productivity
was obtained in the monsoon season, but fat remained constant in all the seasons. Parity was significant (P < 0.05) only
for SNF, and year was significant for DMY (P < 0.01) and SNF (P < 0.05). Persistency was 5.9% calculated using Wood’s
gamma function and 63.0% calculated using the ratio of predicted yields. This was slightly lower compared to dairy breeds
of cattle. Thirteen different lactation curve models were used for fitting of Bargur cattle lactation curve, and the Parabolic
exponential model was the best fitting model based on model diagnostic criteria.
Description
TNV_TAHP_2022_54(2)
Keywords
Veterinary Science