Hostname: page-component-857557d7f7-nbs69 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-11-22T11:05:51.221Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The causes of differences in production between dairy herds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 1961

P. J. Brumby
P. J. Brumby
Affiliation:
Ruakura Animal Research Station, Hamilton, New Zealand
Get access

Extract

The extent of the genetic differences existing among a sample of the dairy herds of New Zealand was assessed by a direct experimental approach. In part one of the experiment, 240 young calves were taken from 40 herds of markedly different production levels and reared and milked as a uniformly treated herd of cattle at Ruakura. In part two of the experiment 120 sets of identical twin calves were divided amongst these 40 high- and low-producing herds.

Results indicated that in general there were no obvious genetic differences between the cattle in the high and low herds in body size, fertility, milk production or days in lactation. There were, however, genetic differences between the high and low herds in milk composition; approximately 50% of the differences between herds in butterfat and protein content and 25% of the SNF content were due to genetic differences between herds.

Genetic differences between herds in yield were found within the high group of herds but not in the low.

Evidence was obtained indicating that interactions between herd environment and the genotype of individual animals provided an appreciable source of variation.

The production level of a herd in which an animal was reared was without effect upon its subsequent production potential for milk yield.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 3 , Issue 3 , October 1961 , pp. 277 - 294
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1961

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

Brumby, P. J., 1956. The milking characteristics of identical twin cattle. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod., 16: 89.Google Scholar
Brumby, P. J., 1960. Cattle twins: the maternal environment and animal production. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod., 20: 95.Google Scholar
Hancock, J., 1953. Studies in monozygotic cattle twins. VII. The relative importance of inheritance and environment in the production of dairy cattle. N.Z.J. Sci. Tech., Agric, 35: 67.Google Scholar
Hofmeyr, J., 1956. A study of Danish and Swedish progeny testing methods for dairy bulls. K. LantbrHögskol. Ann. (.Uppsala), 22: 425.Google Scholar
Kempthorne, O., & Tandon, O. B., 1953. The estimation of heritability by regression of offspring on parent. Biometrics, 9: 90.Google Scholar
Korkman, N., 1953. Versuch einer vergleichenden Nachkommenschaftsuntersuchung von Bullen, die in Herden mit verschieden starker Fiitterung wirken. Z. Tierz. ZüchtBiol., 61: 375.Google Scholar
Lush, J. L., & Straus, F. S., 1942. The heritability of butterfat production in dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci., 25: 975.Google Scholar
Payne, W. J. A., & Hancock, J., 1957. The direct effect of tropical climate on the performance of European-type cattle. II. Production. Emp. J. exp. Agric, 25: 321.Google Scholar
Phillips, D. S. M., 1960. The effect of pre-milking stimulation on milk and butterfat production. (Summ.) Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod., 20: 93.Google Scholar
Pirchner, F., & Lush, J. L., 1959. Genetic and environmental portions of the variation among herds in butterfat production. J. Dairy Sci., 42: 115.Google Scholar
Robertson, A., & Asker, A. A., 1951. The genetic history and breed-structure of British Friesian cattle. Emp. J. exp. Agric, 19: 113.Google Scholar
Robertson, A., & Mcarthur, A. T. G., 1955. Genetic differences between bull-breeding herds. Proc. Brit. Soc. Anim. Prod., 1955: 94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robertson, A., & Rendel, J. M., 1954. The performance of heifers got by artificial insemination. J. agric. Sci., 44: 184CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, J. D. J., & Phillips, D. S. M., 1959. Management factors associated with high and low producing herds. Proc. Ruakura Fmrs' Conf. Wk (Hamilton, N.Z.), 1959: 198.Google Scholar
Stewart, A., 1952. The expansion and structure of the New Zealand pedigree Jersey breed. Proc. N.Z. Soc. Anim. Prod., 12: 32.Google Scholar
Ward, A. H., (?1948). Wastage among twins and their production as two-year-olds. 24th Rep. N.Z. Dairy Bd: 48–49.Google Scholar
Watson, J. H., 1960. Milk yield and butterfat percentage of twin and single-born cattle under experimental and field conditions. Anim. Prod., 2: 67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiener, G., 1959. Growth of cattle twins on dairy farms with high and low yielding herds. Anim. Prod., 1: 61.Google Scholar
Wiener, G., 1960. Factors influencing average milk yield of herds at two levels of production. Anim. Prod., 2: 117.Google Scholar