Research Article

Comparison of selected performance characteristics of primiparous Montbéliarde cows imported as in-calf heifers from France and their daughters born in Poland

Ewa Januś, Danuta Borkowska

University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 13(3), 2014, 37‒46

Abstract. The aim of the study was to compare selected performance characteristics of primiparous Montbéliarde cows imported as in–calf heifers from France (194 heifers) and their daughters born in Poland (93). The analysis took into account the level of culling during the first lactation, age at first calving, milk yield over 100 and 305 days of lactation and complete lactation, and changes in daily milk yield over the course of lactation. The analysis included 283 complete lactations and 3,550 results of test-day milking carried out since 2006. The performance of the primiparous Montbéliarde cows imported from France as in-calf heifers was shown to be less favourable than that of their daughters born in Poland. In the imported heifers the level of culling after the first calving was higher (by 10.1%), milk production began significantly later (by 95 days) and lactations lasted longer (by 88 days). The home–bred cows also had more favourable indices for yield of milk (from 297 to 1,535 kg, depending on the period of lactation), fat, protein, and dry matter, and their lactations were more persistent. It was determined that the acclimation process may have had a negative effect on the performance of the cows imported from France as in-calf heifers.

Keywords: imported and home-bred primiparous cows, Montbéliarde, performance