Milk production data from Holstein × Zebu cows in small farms (2.4 cows per farm on average) in Maharashtra, India, followed by Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF), an Indian non-governmental organisation, were analysed to evaluate the impact of simplified milk-recording systems. The aim was to investigate, in developing tropical areas, less-costly protocols compared with the one curren...

An increase in stall stocking density (SSD), as measured by the number of lactating cows per stall in a freestall barn, reduces cow performance, such as milk yield and fertility, but may increase farm profitability. Our objectives were to calculate effects of varying SSD on profit per stall for a range of effects on cow performances and external farm factors and store results in regression meta...

A field trial was conducted on 5 farms to determine the effect of feeding distillers dried grains (DDGS) on milk production in the southern dairy region of Chile. The trial was repeated on each farm during winter (July and August; primarily silage-based rations) and spring (November and December; pasture-based rations). Only for one farm could the treatments be applied concurrently by feeding d...

Shortening or omitting the dry period of dairy cows improves metabolic health in early lactation and reduces management transitions for dairy cows. The success of implementation of these strategies depends on their impact on milk yield and farm profitability. Insight in these impacts is valuable for informed decision-making by farmers. The aim of this study was to investigate how shortening or ...

The Dixit entry/exit real option model was applied to the entry/exit decisions of New York dairy farmers. For the cost structure of a 500-cow farm the entry milk price is $17.52 per hundredweight (cwt.) and the exit milk price is $10.84. For the 50-cow farm cost structure the entry price is higher at $23.71 per cwt., and the exit price is also higher at $13.48. If infinite numbers of representa...

Grazing dairy cows milked by an automatic system (AS) experienced mild heat stress (HS) periods twice during the summer. The daily temperature humidity index (THI) during these periods were higher than 72. Milk production, as well as milking frequency, rumination time and milk fat to protein ratio (F/P) during these periods were compared with adjacent periods with mean THI of 61. The daily milk...

Considered were four dairy farms. Two were certified organic farms and two were conventional – one with intensive and one with extensive production system. Observations were conducted on 10 Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows from each farm while from conventional farm with extensive production additional 10 Polish Red (PR) cows were observed. Samples of milk and hair for determination of minerals were...

A field study was performed to assess safety of smallholder fresh cow's milk around Mongu, Western Province, Zambia. This involved observation and sampling of milk along the value chain from milking to point-of-sale and storage. Samples were collected from 86 cows, from 9 farmers, selling through two dairy cooperatives, with additional samples from informal markets. Production was very low; aro...

The objective of present study was to derive the economic values for number of inseminations to conception, calving interval, milk yield and stillbirth, using economic data of 10 Iranian Holstein herds. The economic values were derived by using the profit function methods and differentiating a profit equation with respect to the traits of interest. The cow fertility costs herd amortization or r...