The correlation of the age of the first insemination of heifers with the productivity of cows depending on the age in lactation

Relevance. The increasing need for herd maintenance leads to a decrease in the age of first insemination. At the same time, the influence of the age of the first insemination on the productive qualities of cows and the duration of their productive use is not analyzed. The aim of the work is to analyze the correlation of the age of the first insemination of heifers on their further productivity, depending on the age of cows.

Methods. The study involved replacement heifers and cows born in 2018, which were categorized into six groups based on their AFI: ≤ 12 months (including subgroups with early insemination at 9, 11, and 12 months), and 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17–18 months. Data for the analysis were sourced from the IAC “SELEX-Dairy Cattle” database and complemented by our own research. We examined the distribution of heifers by AFI, milk yield dynamics over four lactations, and calculated both the average milk yield per lactation and lifetime milk yield. Dairy productivity was assessed through controlled milk recordings.

Results. It was found that the largest number of repair heifers were inseminated at 14 months (with slight fluctuations from 13 to 15 months). The highest duration of the productive period was found in the group of cows with the age of the first insemination of 14 months (3.72 lactation), and the shortest — 17–18 months (3.0 lactation). The highest productivity rates on average over the period of productive use of cows were found in animals that were inseminated at the age of 16 months — 10,844 ± 138.79 kg.

The study revealed that the age at first insemination influences the pattern of lactation performance as cows age. Cows inseminated at 13–15 months of age were the most efficient in terms of milk yield per lactation, which contributed to their higher lifetime productivity. 

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