1School of Agricultural Sciences, IIMT University, Meerut-250 001, Uttar Pradesh, India.
2Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Janta Vedic College, Baraut-250 611, Uttar Pradesh, India.
3Department of Agriculture, Dolphin (PG) Institute of Biomedical and Natural Sciences, Dehradun-248 007, Uttarakhand, India.
4Department of Agriculture Science, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra-282 003, Uttar Pradesh, India.
*Corresponding Author: Deepak Kumar Verma, School of Agricultural Sciences, IIMT University, Meerut-250 001, Uttar Pradesh, India. Email: choudharydeepak876@gmail.com
Lactation disorders in dairy cattle significantly affect milk production, reproductive performance and overall economic returns. These disorders lead to substantial losses through reduced milk yield, increased treatment cost and decreased productivity. Limited information under Indian conditions is available on such lactations disorders.
The study was conducted at IIMT University, Meerut, for duration of two years using records from the State Livestockcum-Agriculture Farm, Hastinapur (Meerut), Uttar Pradesh. A total of 983 calving records from 258 Haryana cows covering 30 years (1992-2021). Heritability was estimated using the paternal half-sib correlation method, while repeatability was calculated through regression of second lactation on first lactation performance. Milk loss was estimated by comparing 305-day milk yield between affected and not affected groups of cows.
The heritability estimates of lactation disorders were generally low, ranging from 0.06 to 0.23, indicating a strong environmental influence, while repeatability estimates ranged from 0.12 to 0.41. Among the disorders, prolapse exhibited comparatively higher heritability and repeatability. Milk loss was highest in abnormal calving (41.50%), followed by metritis (18.52%) and mastitis (8.80%), indicating the substantial economic impact of these disorder.
Dairy cattle, Genetic parameters, Heritability, Lactation disorders, Milk loss, Repeatability
