Relationship Between Hygienic Aspects and Milk Production Characteristics of Holstein Cows

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between hygienic aspects and milk production characteristics in Holstein cows raised at the Black Sea region of Turkey. With 28 d intervals, hygiene status of udder and rear legs (UHS and HLS) were scored from cows presented in 70 +/- 14, 140 +/- 14 and 210 +/- 14 d in milk into 4 seasons. Hygienic aspects of lactating cows were assessed by a 1-5 scale where higher points indicated the cleaner ones. It was determined that hygiene scores reduced at both winter and spring seasons and also at earlier and later periods of lactation. Except for daily milk yield (dMY), all milk production characteristics (MPC) values were (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001) correlated with UHS and LHS. Thus, close relationships between MPC and hygienic status of cows clearly indicated that managemental factors related to cow cleanness in dairy farms play an important role to obtain higher milk especially at hot or rainy seasons and at the beginning or later lactation stages.