The effect of crossbreeding Holstein-Friesian cows with other breeds is usually improved genetic ... more The effect of crossbreeding Holstein-Friesian cows with other breeds is usually improved genetic potential of crossbreds in terms of longevity. However, culling decisions, which in practice determine the longevity in dairy cows, are contingent on many environmental and economic factors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate longevity in relation to culling reasons in Holstein-Friesian cows of the Black-and-White strain (HO) and crossbreds, taking genotype, age at first calving, herd size, culling season, culling reason and milking temperament into consideration. The data analysed concerned 154,256 dairy cows culled in Poland in 2015. It was found that all studied factors significantly affected cow lifetime performance. The mean age at culling in dairy cows of HO strain exceeded 6 years, with mean lifetime energy-corrected milk (LECM) yield of 28,933 kg and mean lifetime energy-corrected milk yield per milking day (DECM) of 20.2 kg. Crossbreds, on the other hand, tended to...
Despite the various concepts of human-animal relationship, the welfarist approach to this problem... more Despite the various concepts of human-animal relationship, the welfarist approach to this problem is one of the most often considered in theory and used in practice. When dealing with issues related to dairy cattle welfare (DCW), it is necessary to take into account both the reality characteristic for animals used to obtain milk (e.g. the problem of automatic milking of cows) and for slaughter cattle (e.g. slaughter of culled animals). It is not surprising, therefore, that issues related to DCW are the focus of the attention of the public, researchers, breeders as well as the dairy and meat industries. The aim of this article was to possibly most comprehensively cover the above-mentioned issues, although due to its huge scope it was obviously necessary to limit the article to what I think are currently most important issues. That is why in the review I (1) characterized the issues related to the division of human responsibility for DCW; (2) discussed the importance of technology to ...
A. Felenczak et al. 208 reproductive traits. Lin et al.(1987) reported that LGB AB heterozygotes ... more A. Felenczak et al. 208 reproductive traits. Lin et al.(1987) reported that LGB AB heterozygotes are charac-terized by lower age at first calving, which is in agreement with the findings of Jairam and Nair (1983). The aim of the present study was to analyse the effect of the genetic ...
Despite many genetic and environmental factors, the level of physical activity may be a very good... more Despite many genetic and environmental factors, the level of physical activity may be a very good indicator of the physiological (eg estrus, approaching parturition) or health status of cows. The aim of this study was to analyse the 24-hour walking activity of lactating cows as related to ...
The effect of β-lactoglobulin genotype on milk yield and reproductive traits of cows was investig... more The effect of β-lactoglobulin genotype on milk yield and reproductive traits of cows was investigated using two herds of Simmental cattle. The results obtained showed that cows with different LGB genotypes differed significantly in milk yield and milk composition. Cows with LGB AB and BB genotypes were characterized by 413 and 412 kg higher milk yield, respectively, and 19 kg higher fat and protein yield in relation to AA homozygotes. The milk of cows with the LGB BB genotype was also characterized by significantly higher protein content. As regards reproductive traits, there was a tendency towards lower age at first calving and longer calving interval in cows with the LGB BB genotype.
The aim of the study was to determine relationships between the milk performance and behaviour of... more The aim of the study was to determine relationships between the milk performance and behaviour of cows under the loose-housing system. Forty-nine Holstein-Friesian cows from the same technological group were investigated. The following parameters were analysed: milk yield and milking time at 4 successive milkings, body weight, age and health, hornedness/hornlessness, days from cow placement in the group, number of days from last calving, number of days from last oestrus, and number of days of pregnancy. The behavioural traits analysed were walking activity, the speed of cow approaching the feeding table, the order of cow entry into the milking parlour during milking, and cow temperament. Considerable repeatability was found for the order of the cows at different milkings, with no correlation between this trait and cows’ milk yield. The speed of cow approaching the feeding table was not repeatable.
The research aimed at determining the most significant parameters affecting the microclimate of m... more The research aimed at determining the most significant parameters affecting the microclimate of milking parlours, such as temperature, relative humidity and air movement in a parallel milking parlour in real operating conditions. The research was conducted in the summer period, when the risk of heat stress in cattle is higher. To check welfare of cows during milking, days with air temperature >25°C and days with temperature equal or lower than 25°C were analysed. Observation and analysis were performed for air flow in milking parlour, range of supplied air stream and how air movement affects cattle. It was observed that the irregular distribution of air movement led to the development of diverse air velocity in different zones of the milking parlour (0.2-9.0 m∙s
Perception of the environment by farm animals is fundamental for expression of behaviour and of t... more Perception of the environment by farm animals is fundamental for expression of behaviour and of their adaptation to different environmental conditions. From a breeding-environmental perspective, perception becomes increasingly important when a production system negatively impacts on animals such that their normal expression of behaviour is compromised. Therefore, research on the perceptual abilities of farm animals is of crucial importance to understand the animalenvironment relationship. This review is focused on research related to sensory perception of farm animals. It should be stressed that the world of animal senses is very difficult to explore, we have limited knowledge of the complexity of the animal’s ability to perceive and process environmental stimuli.
ABSTRACT The behavioural traits of cattle in terms of docility and manageability have traditional... more ABSTRACT The behavioural traits of cattle in terms of docility and manageability have traditionally been the main factors that allowed the domestication of, and use of cattle by humans. Behavioural traits have a profound effect on cattle longevity and are very useful in the assessment of animal welfare and determination of ethical limits to animal handling by humans. In this review, we (1) discussed issues relating to the genetics of the behavioural traits of cattle, (2) characterise current status of cattle breeding in terms of behavioural traits, at the level of population and molecular genetics, giving special consideration to high individual variation in behavioural traits and their relatively high correlations with milk and meat performance traits, (3) discuss the present state of knowledge concerning the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for behavioural traits of cattle, (4) characterise major problems that impede breeding progress in cattle behaviour, including great diversity of methods used for the assessment of behavioural traits and the considerable degree of its subjectivity. In summary, we show the need for systematically improving the effectiveness of cattle breeding with a focus on behaviour, including the consistent and uniform definition of behavioural traits and objective measures of their assessment.
The effect of crossbreeding Holstein-Friesian cows with other breeds is usually improved genetic ... more The effect of crossbreeding Holstein-Friesian cows with other breeds is usually improved genetic potential of crossbreds in terms of longevity. However, culling decisions, which in practice determine the longevity in dairy cows, are contingent on many environmental and economic factors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate longevity in relation to culling reasons in Holstein-Friesian cows of the Black-and-White strain (HO) and crossbreds, taking genotype, age at first calving, herd size, culling season, culling reason and milking temperament into consideration. The data analysed concerned 154,256 dairy cows culled in Poland in 2015. It was found that all studied factors significantly affected cow lifetime performance. The mean age at culling in dairy cows of HO strain exceeded 6 years, with mean lifetime energy-corrected milk (LECM) yield of 28,933 kg and mean lifetime energy-corrected milk yield per milking day (DECM) of 20.2 kg. Crossbreds, on the other hand, tended to...
Despite the various concepts of human-animal relationship, the welfarist approach to this problem... more Despite the various concepts of human-animal relationship, the welfarist approach to this problem is one of the most often considered in theory and used in practice. When dealing with issues related to dairy cattle welfare (DCW), it is necessary to take into account both the reality characteristic for animals used to obtain milk (e.g. the problem of automatic milking of cows) and for slaughter cattle (e.g. slaughter of culled animals). It is not surprising, therefore, that issues related to DCW are the focus of the attention of the public, researchers, breeders as well as the dairy and meat industries. The aim of this article was to possibly most comprehensively cover the above-mentioned issues, although due to its huge scope it was obviously necessary to limit the article to what I think are currently most important issues. That is why in the review I (1) characterized the issues related to the division of human responsibility for DCW; (2) discussed the importance of technology to ...
A. Felenczak et al. 208 reproductive traits. Lin et al.(1987) reported that LGB AB heterozygotes ... more A. Felenczak et al. 208 reproductive traits. Lin et al.(1987) reported that LGB AB heterozygotes are charac-terized by lower age at first calving, which is in agreement with the findings of Jairam and Nair (1983). The aim of the present study was to analyse the effect of the genetic ...
Despite many genetic and environmental factors, the level of physical activity may be a very good... more Despite many genetic and environmental factors, the level of physical activity may be a very good indicator of the physiological (eg estrus, approaching parturition) or health status of cows. The aim of this study was to analyse the 24-hour walking activity of lactating cows as related to ...
The effect of β-lactoglobulin genotype on milk yield and reproductive traits of cows was investig... more The effect of β-lactoglobulin genotype on milk yield and reproductive traits of cows was investigated using two herds of Simmental cattle. The results obtained showed that cows with different LGB genotypes differed significantly in milk yield and milk composition. Cows with LGB AB and BB genotypes were characterized by 413 and 412 kg higher milk yield, respectively, and 19 kg higher fat and protein yield in relation to AA homozygotes. The milk of cows with the LGB BB genotype was also characterized by significantly higher protein content. As regards reproductive traits, there was a tendency towards lower age at first calving and longer calving interval in cows with the LGB BB genotype.
The aim of the study was to determine relationships between the milk performance and behaviour of... more The aim of the study was to determine relationships between the milk performance and behaviour of cows under the loose-housing system. Forty-nine Holstein-Friesian cows from the same technological group were investigated. The following parameters were analysed: milk yield and milking time at 4 successive milkings, body weight, age and health, hornedness/hornlessness, days from cow placement in the group, number of days from last calving, number of days from last oestrus, and number of days of pregnancy. The behavioural traits analysed were walking activity, the speed of cow approaching the feeding table, the order of cow entry into the milking parlour during milking, and cow temperament. Considerable repeatability was found for the order of the cows at different milkings, with no correlation between this trait and cows’ milk yield. The speed of cow approaching the feeding table was not repeatable.
The research aimed at determining the most significant parameters affecting the microclimate of m... more The research aimed at determining the most significant parameters affecting the microclimate of milking parlours, such as temperature, relative humidity and air movement in a parallel milking parlour in real operating conditions. The research was conducted in the summer period, when the risk of heat stress in cattle is higher. To check welfare of cows during milking, days with air temperature >25°C and days with temperature equal or lower than 25°C were analysed. Observation and analysis were performed for air flow in milking parlour, range of supplied air stream and how air movement affects cattle. It was observed that the irregular distribution of air movement led to the development of diverse air velocity in different zones of the milking parlour (0.2-9.0 m∙s
Perception of the environment by farm animals is fundamental for expression of behaviour and of t... more Perception of the environment by farm animals is fundamental for expression of behaviour and of their adaptation to different environmental conditions. From a breeding-environmental perspective, perception becomes increasingly important when a production system negatively impacts on animals such that their normal expression of behaviour is compromised. Therefore, research on the perceptual abilities of farm animals is of crucial importance to understand the animalenvironment relationship. This review is focused on research related to sensory perception of farm animals. It should be stressed that the world of animal senses is very difficult to explore, we have limited knowledge of the complexity of the animal’s ability to perceive and process environmental stimuli.
ABSTRACT The behavioural traits of cattle in terms of docility and manageability have traditional... more ABSTRACT The behavioural traits of cattle in terms of docility and manageability have traditionally been the main factors that allowed the domestication of, and use of cattle by humans. Behavioural traits have a profound effect on cattle longevity and are very useful in the assessment of animal welfare and determination of ethical limits to animal handling by humans. In this review, we (1) discussed issues relating to the genetics of the behavioural traits of cattle, (2) characterise current status of cattle breeding in terms of behavioural traits, at the level of population and molecular genetics, giving special consideration to high individual variation in behavioural traits and their relatively high correlations with milk and meat performance traits, (3) discuss the present state of knowledge concerning the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for behavioural traits of cattle, (4) characterise major problems that impede breeding progress in cattle behaviour, including great diversity of methods used for the assessment of behavioural traits and the considerable degree of its subjectivity. In summary, we show the need for systematically improving the effectiveness of cattle breeding with a focus on behaviour, including the consistent and uniform definition of behavioural traits and objective measures of their assessment.
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Papers by Krzysztof Adamczyk