Relationship among body measurements and the productive-reproductive performance in holstein cows in the research and training center Santa Maria del Puyon of La Salle University

Abstract

A study conducted to research phenotype relationship between body measurements, udder and teat measurements and productive and reproductive records in Holstein-Friesian multipare cows owned the milking herd at the Dairy Cattle Research Center “CIC Santa Maria del Puyón de la Universidad de La Salle”. Holsteins cows (n=69) from commercial and purebred CIC herd were chosen based on the following criteria: 5 years older, 2 offspring minimal recorded, yield milk complete records and linear type classification commercial or purebred Holstein. Statistic analysis included descriptive study, phenotype correlations and regression predictive model using SAS software issue 9. Averages body measurements such as Hip Height (HH), Heart Girth (HG), Body Length (BL), Rump Length (RL), Rump Width (RW) were 1,40 ± 3,96 cm, 2,00 ± 24,72 cm, 1,57 ± 8,24 cm, 49,8 ± 1,65 cm and 51,9 ± 2,61 cm, respectively. Body and Pelvic indexes measures ratio lengthwidth were 77,85 y 104,30 respectively. Linear udder measurement scale 1-9 included: Udder Rear Attachment (URA), Udder Front Attachment (UFA), Udder Width (UW) and Udder Lateral Set (ULS) were 5,43 ± 0,74; 5,35 ± 1,33; 5,75 ± 1,18; 4,81 ± 0,94, respectively. Teat dimensions such as Rear Length Teats (RLT), Front Length Teats (FLT) and Width Teats (WT) were 3,39 ± 0,68 cm, 3,93 ± 0,97 cm and 2,32 ± 0,62 cm, respectively. Holstein cows were studied in Body Condition Score (BCS), scale 1-5 averaged 2,87 ± 0,35. Adjusted annual Yield Milk (YM) in evaluated dairy cows averaged 4842,81 ± 1.440 kg. Breeding Intervals (BI) were 492,4 ± 107 days and Cow Index was 152,02 ± 66. YM was correlated positively to parity, Cow index and measurements such as HG, UFA and ULS and negatively to Breeding Interval. Measurements including URA, UFA and ULS were correlated negatively to Interval breeding. Cow index was correlated directly to measurements such as UFA, UW, ULS, RLT, FLT and YM, and negatively correlated to Breeding interval. Body measurement HG, linear udder measurement, teat measurements were high predictive value to estimate productive and reproductive performance in Holstein cows. Body measurements and linear udder evaluation were useful to select Holstein milking biotype under high tropical conditions