UTILITY OF BODY CONDITION SCORE (BCS) SYSTEM FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL AND PRODUCTION TRAITS OF CROSSBRED COWS
| dc.contributor.advisor | SARJAN RAO, K (Major) | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | RAMANA, J.V | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | SATHYANARAYANA REDDY, P.V.V | |
| dc.contributor.author | ANITHA, A | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2016-12-20T22:39:22Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2016-12-20T22:39:22Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2003-07 | |
| dc.description | THESES | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | ABSTRACT : Body Condition Score (BCS) system is a subjective scoring method of evaluating the energy reserves of dairy cows which provide the better understanding of biological relationship between body fat, milk production and reproduction that helps in adopting the optimum managemental practices to derive maximum production and maintain better health status. In the present study the system of body condition assessment developed by Edmonson et al. (1989) was used to score body condition of the crossbred Jersey and HF cows in F1 and F2 generation. The chart suggested by Edmonson et al. (1989) described eight important areas of check points on the cow in assigning an overall BCS in a 1 to 5 scale, using 0.25 increments functioning as a 17 point scale. After each area was examined by vision and palpation, score is recorded and a general average BCS was assigned to the cows. The relationship between BCS and physical parameters studied in 150 crossbred cows showed that 148 cows were in the BCS range of 2.75 to 4.25. Cows of below 5 years of age showed 0.1 unit higher BCS (P < 0.05) than cows of 5 and above 5 years of age. Correlation coefficients indicated that as the BCS increased, heart girth measurements and body weights were increased whereas, wither height, hook height, sternum height and intercostal space measurements decreased. However, these relationships were statistically non-significant. The postpartum changes in BCS studied in 30 crossbred Jersey and HF cows showed a mean ± SE BCSc of 3.67 ± 0.07. The DMI / Kg B.Wt reduced by 10 and 12.8 g with an increase of one unit BCSc for the BCSc ranges of 3.25 to 3.75 and 3.75 to 4.25 respectively. The cows had lost their body condition until 10 weeks postpartum and later on gradually started recouping their body condition. Cows in all the 5 series of lactation have maintained a minimum BCS of above 2.5 during early lactation. The range of minimum BCS recorded was 2.5 to 3.5 with a mean of 3.16 ± 0.07. The mean LBCS and GBCS values observed over the period of 18 weeks postpartum were 0.62 ± 0.04 and 0.35 ± 0.02, respectively. Cows of BCSc of below 3.5 had regained their loss in condition one week prior to the cows of BCSc of above 3.5. The mean weekly postpartum BCS change was significantly higher (P<0.01) for cows of BCSc of above 3.5 than for cows of below 3.5 during the 18 wks postpartum. Rank correlation between BCS and milk yield / day at 4, 19, 34, 49, 64, 79, 94, 109 and 120 days of milking showed that BCS and milk yield were positively correlated (P<0.01) at 49 days of lactation and non-significant correlation was observed during the remaining test days. For every one unit increase in BCS a decrease of 3kg milk yield and an increase of 3.7 kg FCM were recorded. However, these values were statistically non-significant and BCS had no significant effect on mean peak and daily milk yield. Cows with BCSc of 3.00 to 3.49 have taken more number of days (33) to reach the peak milk yield when compared to cows with BCSc of 4.00 to 4.49. The slope to peak was higher (0.79 ± 0.16) at BCSc of 3.00 to 3.49 which had declined (0.64 ± 0.13) at BCSc of 4.00 to 4.49. The persistency (slope from peak) was more for cows with BCSc of 3.00 to 3.49 (0.93 ± 0.12) compared to cows with BCSc of 4.00 to 4.49 (0.63 ± 0.23). The 305 day predicted milk yield at 30 days of lactation was reduced in the subsequent month prediction by 675.74, 621.20 and 198 kg for 3rd, 4th and 5th lactations, respectively. Cows with higher milk yield of 3500-4500 kg in previous lactation had comparatively a low BCSc (3.39) in the present lactation than medium (2500-3500 kg) and low (1500-2500 kg) yielders, which were assigned the BCSc of 3.69 and 3.78, respectively. For every one unit increase in BCS there was an increase of 22.39g fat and decrease of 14.53 g of protein per kg of milk yield. The service period was 94, 90 and 82 days for cows with BCSc of 3.00 to 3.49, 3.5 to 3.99 and 4.00 to 4.49, respectively and it was observed that BCSc had no significant effect on service period. Cows with BCS of below 3.5 were more affected with Clinical Mastitis (23) than cows with BCS of above 3.5(15). Hence, based on the results obtained it was concluded that the BCS system is an economic tool of determining the body condition of dairy cows more accurately which helps us to monitor the plane of nutrition to achieve the optimum performance of crossbred data. | en_US |
| dc.description.sponsorship | DEPARTMENT OF LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT COLLEGE OF VETERINARY SCIENCE, TIRUPATI | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/91631 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | SRI VENKATESWARA VETERINARY UNIVERSITY , TIRUPATI – 517 502 (A.P) INDIA | en_US |
| dc.sub | Levestock Production Management | |
| dc.subject | BODY CONDITION SCORE; CROSSBRED COWS; PHYSICAL TRAITS ; PRODUCTION TRAITS; body fat; milk production; reproduction | en_US |
| dc.these.type | M.V.Sc | |
| dc.title | UTILITY OF BODY CONDITION SCORE (BCS) SYSTEM FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF PHYSICAL AND PRODUCTION TRAITS OF CROSSBRED COWS | en_US |
| dc.title.alternative | MVSc; CVSc, TIRUPATI; Acc No: T968 | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |