INCREASING MILK PRODUCTION IN COWS DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF MILKINGS PER DAY

Abstract

The herd of Holstein cows, either daughters of cows inseminated with semen from non-pedigree bulls (control group) or daughters of pedigree bulls (experimental group), were randomly selected to be milked twice or three times a day. Amount of dry matter (DM), live weight (BW), milk production yield (FCM), milk fat content (FM) were recorded for two lactations. In general, cows in the experimental group produced more milk (P<.0l) than those in the control group and cows milked 3 times a day produced more milk than those milked 2 times a day (P<.0l). Actual milk production was greater (P<.0l) for both groups during the second lactation than during the first lactation. However, the average increase in FCM yield from the first to the second lactation was only about 12% for cows milked twice and 5% for cows milked 3 times. The experimental group of cows gave approximately 25% - 30% more milk during the first and second lactations than the control group cows. Dry matter consumed, regardless of body weight or milk fat percentage, was increased in the experimental group for milk yield. Milk production per DM unit was higher for cows in the experimental group than for the control group at 30, 90 and 200 days postpartum (DPP).
Milking three times a day increased the total milk yield by 14% and 6% during the first and second lactation, respectively.