Agrarian Science and Food Technologies

Polishchuk T.V., Сandidate of Аgricultural Sciences, Associate Professor

Vinnytsia National Agrarian University

To study the effect of calving season on the animals’ milk productivity, five lactation groups of cows of the Ukrainian black-speckled dairy breed, among which there were the animals having calved in winter, spring, summer and autumn, were selected. The development of characteristics was evaluated by the milk yield, the fat content and the amount of milk fat for each lactation.

The cows, having calved in spring, autumn and winter, had the highest milk yields at different lactations compared to the animals having calved in summer. Depending on lactation, the coefficient of variability in milk yield was within 23.1-25.2% (high variability of the characteristic), in milk fat content – within 5.3-5.5% (average variability of the characteristic, close to low) and in the amount of milk fat – within 22.1-28.3% (high variability) in the cows having calved in winter.  The cows having calved in spring had the coefficient of variability in milk yield within 19.8-26.1%, in milk fat content within 5.3-5.9% and in the amount of milk fat within 20.9-28.7%. The cows having calved in summer had the coefficient of variability in milk yield within 23.9-26.8%, in milk fat content within 5.4-5.7% and in the amount of milk fat within 22.4-26.3%. The cows having calved in autumn had the coefficient of variability in milk yield within 20.4-27.2%, in milk fat content within 5.4-5.9% and in the amount of milk fat within 20.1-25.5%.

It was found that the correlation coefficient between calving season and milk productivity was higher, negative (inverse), but also insignificant in all cases, compared to the correlation coefficients between the calving season and milk yield, milk fat content and the amount of milk fat.

The impact of calving season on milk productivity is negligible (0.21-4.22%), but it is likely to affect the productivity in a particular calving season. The role of these factors for the fat content in the cows’ milk and the amount of milk fat is even smaller and insignificant in most cases.

Considering the calving season of cows, the highest profit per cow per lactation was received from the animals having calved in winter and amounted to 2,910 UAH, which is by 1.1% higher than the profit received from the cows having calved in spring, by 3.47% higher from those having calved in summer and by 5.6% higher from those having calved in autumn.

Therefore, in order to increase the milk productivity of cows’ herds in the farm, it is advisable to plan the cow’s calving for spring, autumn and winter periods at different lactations.

1. Bodnar P.V. & Shcherbatyi Z.Ie. & Pavliv B.A. (2008). Molochna produktyvnist i vidtvorna zdatnist koriv ukrainskoi chorno-riaboi molochnoi porody pry poiednanni v yikh henotypi spadkovosti holshtynskoi i nimetskoi chorno-riaboi pored [Milk productivity and reproductive capacity of cows of the Ukrainian black-speckled dairy breed when combining the heredity of Holstein and German black-speckled breeds in their genotype]. Naukovyi visnyk Lvivskoho natsionalnoho universytetu veterynarnoi medytsyny ta biotekhnolohii im. S.Z. Gzhytskoho – Scientific Bulletin of Lviv National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after S. Gzhytskyi, 10, 2 (37), 3, 12-16                 [in Ukrainian].

2. Hodovanets L.V. & Huzieiev Yu.V. (2013). Vidtvoriuvalna zdatnist koriv holshtynskoi porody v umovakh stepu Ukrainy [Reproductive capacity of cows of the Holstein breed in the conditions of the Steppe of Ukraine]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Vinnytskoho natsionalnoho ahrarnoho universytetu – Collection of scientific papers of Vinnytsia National Agrarian University, 1(71), 56-61 [in Ukrainian].

3. Ieresko H.O. & Romanchuk I.O. (2006).Yakist moloka i molochnykh produktiv [Quality of milk and dairy products]. Visnyk ahrarnoi nauky – Bulletin of agrarian science, 12, 87-88 [in Ukrainian].

4. Zotko M.O.& Nevinskyi V.P. (2012). Vplyv tryvalosti servis-periodu na vyrobnytstvo produktsii skotarstva v umovakh Vinnytskoho raionu [Impact of the length of service period on the production of livestock products in the conditions of Vinnytsia region]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Vinnytskoho natsionalnoho ahrarnoho universytetu – Collection of scientific papers of Vinnytsia National Agrarian University, 5(67), 108-115                           [in Ukrainian].

5. Kostash V. (2007). Molochnist i vidtvorennia bukovynskykh koriv [Milk productivity and reproduction of Bukovyna cows]. Tvarynnytstvo Ukrainy – Livestock of Ukraine, 10, 19-21 [in Ukrainian].

6. Movchan T. (2007). Molochna produktyvnist ta yii minlyvist [Milk productivity and its variability]. Tvarynnytstvo Ukrainy – Livestock of Ukraine, 1, 29-31 [in Ukrainian].

7. Pikula O.A. (2014). Vplyv umov utrymannia koriv u sukhostiinyi period na yikh vidtvoriuvalnu zdatnist [Impact of cows’ keeping conditions in the dry season on their reproductive capacity]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Vinnytskoho natsionalnoho ahrarnoho universytetu – Collection of scientific papers of Vinnytsia National Agrarian University, 1 (83), 2, 23-29 [in Ukrainian].

8. Polovyi L.V. & Polishchuk T.V. (2010).Vplyv sezonu otelennia koriv-pervistok za stiilovo-vyhulnoiu systemoiu utrymannia na yikh produktyvnist [Impact of the season of first calving in the cows under the stall-based keeping system on their productivity]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Kharkivskoi derzhavnoi zooveterynarnoi akademii – Collection of scientific papers of Kharkiv State Zoo Veterinary Academy, 22, 2, 80-83 [in Ukrainian].

9. Polovyi L.V. & Humeniuk I.V. (2012). Vplyv stati teliat otrymanykh vid koriv ukrainskoi chorno-riaboi molochnoi porody na formuvannia molochnoi produktyvnosti u pershi dni laktatsii [Impact of the sex of calves obtained from the cows of Ukrainian black-speckled dairy breed on the formation of milk productivity in the first days of lactation]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Vinnytskoho natsionalnoho ahrarnoho universytetu – Collection of scientific papers of Vinnytsia National Agrarian University, 3(61), 45-51 [in Ukrainian].

10. Riabchuk L.M. & Zotko M.O. (2009). Vplyv tryvalosti servis-periodu na vyrobnytstvo yalovychyny i moloka u Vinnytskomu raioni [Impact of the length of service period on the production of beef and milk in the Vinnytsia region]. Zbirnyk naukovykh prats Vinnytskoho derzhavnoho ahrarnoho universytetu – Collection of scientific papers of Vinnytsia National Agrarian University, 37, I, 261-269 [in Ukrainian].

11. Tsiupko V.V. (2011). Sklad moloka koriv v rizni sezony roku po stadu DPDH «Kutuzivka» [The composition of cow’s milk in different seasons of the year according to the herd of the Kutuzivka State Forest Farm]. Naukovyi visnyk «Askaniia-Nova» – Scientific Bulletin «Askania-Nova», 4, 163-167 [in Ukrainian].

12. Shuliar A.L. & Malinovskyi M.V. (2016). Formuvannia molochnoi produktyvnosti u velykoi rohatoi khudoby [Formation of milk productivity in cattle]. Tekhnolohiia vyrobnytstva i pererobky produktsii tvarynnytstva. Zhytomyr: ZhNAEU – Technology of production and processing of livestock products: Zhytomyr: ZhNAEU, 6, 46-49                           [in Ukrainian].