Philippine E-Journals

Body Condition Score Of Cows And Calf Management In Dairy Production

L.g.d.s. Coimbra | Alberto Y. Robles | Cesar C. Sevilla | Carmelita M. Rebancos | E. Sanchez | Demetrio B. Marcial Jr.

Discipline: Agribusiness, Animal Science

 

Abstract:

Three levels of body condition score (BCS) were compared. The low (2.0 –2.75), medium (3.0–3.75) and high BCS group (4.0–4.75) were monitored both in the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI) and Batangas Dairy Cooperative (BADACO) farms. Fifty dairy pregnant cows (33 from BADACO and 17 from DTRI herd) were used. In BADACO herd, the highest number of healthy calves belonged to low BCS group, ten (100 %) healthy calves, followed by high BCS group with twelve (92 %) healthy calves, and medium BCS group with six (60%) healthy calves. In DTRI herd, the highest number of healthy calves was found from high BCS group with five (100%) healthy calves, followed by medium BCS group with five (83%) and low BCS group with three (50%). In DTRI herd the medium BCS group had highest milk production (1896 kg), followed by high BCS group (1,444 kg), and low BCS group (1,223 kg) after 120 days of lactation. Two treatment diets were fed to 10 dairy female calves to determine the effect of feeding whole milk and milk replacer on live weight gain. Treatment I (control) calves had whole milk at 8% of live weight + calf starter + roughage. Treatment II calves had milk replacer at 10 % of live weight + calf starter + roughage. Calves on both treatments received the same calf starter and roughage fed ad libitum. Calves from the whole milk group had ADG of 0.5kg and the milk replacer group, 0.3 kg. The corresponding cost efficiency was PhP191.20 for milk replacer and PhP140.07 for whole milk.