RESEARCH ON THE INFLUENCE OF CALVING SEASON ON MILK YIELD, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND SOMATIC CELLS COUNT IN DAIRY COWS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51258/AAR.2025.7.42Keywords:
calving season, milk yield, chemical composition, somatic cells countAbstract
This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the calving season on cow’s milk yield during the first 100 days of lactation (100 DIM) and on milks chemical composition, including fat, protein, lactose, total solids, urea and casein. Additionally, the study assessed the dynamics of the somatic cells count (SCC) in relation to calving season (spring, summer, autumn and winter). The research was conducted at the Research and Development Institute for Bovine Balotești on 40 multiparous Romanian Black and White cows (10 cows/calving season), kept under identical housing and feeding conditions. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test to determine seasonal differences. Results indicated that cows calving in spring produced the highest 100DIM yields (2733.0 ± 144.0 kg), followed by summer (2599.2 ± 99.7 kg), whereas the lowest production was recorded in winter (2365.2 ± 82.7 kg) and autumn (2356.0 ± 230.0 kg) calving cows. Statistically significant differences (p≤0.05) were found between spring and autumn for parity corrected milk yield, as well as between spring and winter. The SCS was significantly higher in summer season (p≤0.05), while the lowest values were recorded in autumn, suggesting an increased risk of mastitis during periods of heat stress. The fat and protein percentages were not influenced (p>0.05) by the calving season, likely due to the consistent feeding diet applied throughout the year. These findings highlight the effects of the calving season and it’s potential to optimize production efficiency and udder health through reproductive planning and management.Downloads
References
Aguilar I., Misztal I. & Tsuruta S., Genetic components of heat stress for dairy cattle with multiple lactations, 2009, J. Dairy Sci. 92(11), 5702–5711
Bailey R.L., West K.P., Black R.E., The epidemiology of global micronutrient deficiencies, 2015, Annals of Nutrition and Metab. 66(9): 22-33
Baumgard L.H., Rhoads R.P., Ruminant Nutrition Symposium: ruminant production and metabolic responses to heat stress, 2012, J. Anim. Sci. 90, 1855–1865
Bendelja D., Prpic Z., Mikulec N., Ivkic Z., Havranek J., Antunac N., Milk urea concentration in Holstein and Simmental cows, 2011, Mljekarstvo, 61(1), 45
Bondan C., Folchini J.A., Noro M., Quadros D.L., Machado K.M., Gonzales F.H.D., Milk composition of Holstein cow: a retrospective study, 2018, Animal Prod. 48(12)
Collier R.J., Xiao Y., Bauman D.E., Regulation of factors affecting milk yield. In Nutrients in Dairy and their Implications on Health and Disease (3-17), 2017, Academic Press
Coppa M.A., Ferlay C., Chassaing C., Agabriel F., Glasser Y., Chilliard G., Borreani R., Barcarolo T., Baars D., Kusche O.M., Harstad J., Verbip J., Golecky Martin B., Prediction of bulk milk fatty acid composition based on farming practices collected through on-farm surveys, 2013, J. Dairy Sci. 96:4197–4211. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2012-6379
Costa A., Niero G., Franzoi M., Cassandro M., De Marchi M., Penasa M., Iodine content in bovine milk is lowly heritable and shows limited genetic variation, 2021, J. of Dairy Sci. 104(3): 3292-3297
Debnath A., Elangbam S., Pandey A., Madhuri P., Michui D., The hidden dangers of winter: A brief review how cold stress affects cattle production, 2024, International J. of Vet. Sci. and Anim. Husbandry. 9(6): 152-156
Dikmen S., Khan F.A., Huson H.J., Sonstegard T.S., Moss J.I., Dahl G.E., & Hansen P.J., The SLICK hair locus derived from Senepol cattle confers thermotolerance to intensively managed lactating Holstein cows, 2014, J. Dairy Sci. 97(9), 5508–5520
Heck J.M.L., van Valenberg H.J.F., Dijkstra J., van Hooijdonk A.C.M., Seasonal variation in the Dutch bovine raw milk composition, 2009, J. Dairy Sci. 92:4745–4755. http://dx.doi. org/10.3168/jds.2009-2146
International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) Guidelines, Version (2012). Available online: http://www.icar.org/pages/statutes.html
Larsen M.K., Nielsen J.H., Butler G., Leifert C., Slots T., Kristiansen G.H., Gustafsson A.H., Milk quality as affected by feeding regimens in a country with climatic variation, 2010, J. Dairy Sci. 93:2863–2873. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2953
Marenjak T.S., Poljicak-Milas N., Seasonal variations in raw milk quality and milk production on smallholder dairy farms in Croatia, 2007, Milchwissenschaft 62 (3), 273-275
Marinov I., Dimov D., Penev T., Influence of some environmental and paratipical factors on the somatic cells count in milk in black-and-white cows, 2019, Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science. 25, 3
Orjales I., Herrero-Latorre C., Miranda M., Rey-Crespo F., Rodriguez-Bermudez R., Lopez-Alonso M., Evaluation of trace element status of organic dairy cattle, 2018, Animal. 12(6): 1296-1305
Palladino R.A., Buckley F., Prendiville R., Murphy J.J., Callan J., Kenny D.A., A comparison between Holstein-Friesian and Jersey dairy cows and their F1 hybrid on milk fatty acid composition under grazing conditions, 2010, J. Dairy Sci. 93:2176–2184
Pryce J.E., Nguyen T.T.T., Cheruiyot E.K., Marett L., Garner J.B. & Haile-Mariam M., Impact of hot weather on animal performance and genetic strategies to minimise the effect, 2022, Anim. Prod. Sci. 62(8), 726–735
Soyeurt H.P., Dardenne F., Dehareng C., Gengler N., Genetic parameters of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid content and the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids in bovine milk, 2008, J. Dairy Sci. 91:3611–3626. http://dx.doi. org/10.3168/jds.2007-0971
Stergiadis S., Seal C.J., Leifert C., Eyre M.D., Larsen M.K., Butler G., Variation in nutritionally relevant components in retail Jersey and Guernsey whole milk, 2013, Food Chem. 139:540–548. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.foodchem.2013.01.078
Stoop W.M., Bovenhuis H., Heck J.M.L., van Arendonk J.A.M., Effect of lactation stage and energy status on milk fat composition of Holstein-Friesian cows, 2009, J. Dairy Sci. 92:1469– 1478. http://dx.doi.org/10.3168/jds.2008-1468
Velea C., Marginean G., Tratat de Cresterea Bovinelor, 2012, Vol. I., Editura RISOPRINT, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Weiss W.P.A., 100-Year review: from ascorbic acid to zinc - mineral and vitamin nutrition of dairy cows, 2017, J. of Dairy Sci. 100(12): 10045-10060
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Acta Agricola Romanica
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
