Adjustment Factors for Month of Calving, Age at Calving and Days in Milk for Holteins in Tunisia

Abstract

Multiplicative adjustment factors for month of calving, age at calving and lactation length were computed for complete lactation records (n= 11’175) recorded between 2012 and 2017 from 6251 dairy cattle raised in 33 Holstein dairy herds. An animal model was used with fixed effects for herd-year-sector, month of calving and age at calving and random and the residual random error. The objectives of this study were: 1) to examine the effect of the non-genetic factors on the milk yield production, 2) to adjust milk yield for non-genetic sources of variation and 3) to examine the effect of milk yield adjustments on estimates of the genetic trend. Main results showed that month of calving, age at calving and lactation length were significant sources of variation for milk yield. Cows calving in the fall and early winter yielded 430 kg and 455 kg more milk than cows calving in spring and summer, respectively. Holsteins in Tunisia reached their maximum milk yield between 68 and 70 months of age. Average adjusted milk yield for days in milk, month and age of calving was 6621±2883 kg. An overall rate of increase in milk yield was found to be 22.68 kg/year over the 15 years period.