Influence of Growth Retardation of Heifers on the Development, Production, Duration and Efficiency of Productive Lifespan of Dairy Cows
Volume 81, Issue 2 (2023): Veterinarija ir Zootechnika, pp. 36–43
Pub. online: 22 August 2024
Type: Research Article
Open Access
Open Access
Received
11 January 2024
11 January 2024
Revised
9 February 2024
9 February 2024
Accepted
9 February 2024
9 February 2024
Published
22 August 2024
22 August 2024
Abstract
It was established that the age at first calving of dairy cows, their milk production,
reproductive traits, duration and efficiency of productive lifespan depend on the growth intensity of
replacement heifers. Heifers with growth retardation in any period up to 1 year of age are characterized
by an older age at first calving (by 4.7–7.9% depending on the age at which growth retardation was
observed), lower live weight in the first year of life (by 4.1–24.4%), first lactation milk production
(milk yield by 6.1–13.2%, milk fat yield by 7.4–13.1%, milk protein yield by 8.7–17.3%) and lifetime
milk production (lifetime milk yield by 12.1–25.9%, milk fat + milk protein yields by 13.1–26.3%), as
well as lower milk yield, milk fat and milk protein per one day of life, productive lifetime and lactation
(by 8.6–21.1%) compared with animals without growth retardation. Animals with growth retardation
are inferior to animals without growth retardation on the investigated traits, even after the subsequent
elimination of retardation.