Influence of country of origin and lineage on the lifetime milk production of Holstein cows

Abstract

This work investigated the percentage influence of country of origin and lineage on parameters of lifetime milk production in Holstein cows brought as heifers to Ukraine from Western Europe. The animals were kept untethered in new, modern, uninsulated steel cowsheds in a large dairy complex. Data from the Orsek dairy management system were used to evaluate randomly selected cows of different origins with complete lactation for lifetime milk, fat and protein yield. Despite significant differences in milk productivity between animals depending on their country of origin and line, the share of the influence of these factors was fairly small. Two-way analysis of variance showed that the percentage influence of the line on lifetime milk yield was 5,5%, and its influence on the yield of milk fat and protein was 6,3-7,8%. The percentage influence of the country of origin was even smaller, at 0,5–2,6% (with a greater impact on milk yield). The rather small effect of the factors studied could be due to the influence of environmental factors (feeding and living conditions), which should be investigated in further studies.