1School of Agricultural Sciences, IIMT University, Meerut-250 001, Uttar Pradesh.
2Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) University, Prayagraj-211 010, Uttar Pradesh, India.
3School of Advanced Agriculture Science and Technology, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur-208 024, Uttar Pradesh, India.
4Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata-700 053, West Bengal, India.
*Corresponding Author: Akhilesh Kumar Singh, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) University, Prayagraj-211 010, Uttar Pradesh, India. Email: akhileshbhu88@gmail.com
Lactation disorders adversely affect reproductive performance, milk production and economic efficiency in dairy animals. Their occurrence is influenced by non-genetic factors such as parity, period and season of calving and understanding their incidence and economic losses is essential for improving herd health and productivity.
The study was conducted at IIMT University, Meerut, for duration of two years using records from the State Livestock-cum-Agriculture Farm, Hastinapur (Meerut), Uttar Pradesh. A total of 983 calving records from 258 Haryana cows covering 30 years (1992-2021) were analyzed to assess the incidence of major lactation disorders in relation to parity, period and season of calving. Economic losses were estimated based on treatment costs and the effects of non-genetic factors were evaluated using analysis of variance.
The incidence of lactation disorders varied across different lactation, periods and seasons of calving. Higher occurrence of several reproductive disorders was observed in early lactations, while udder-related disorders showed an increasing trend with advancing lactation. Period-wise and seasonal variations indicated the influence of management and climatic conditions on the incidence of lactation disorders. Non-genetic factors had significant effects on several disorders. Lactation disorders resulted in considerable economic losses, mainly due to increased treatment costs. The study concluded that the lactation disorders are influenced by non-genetic factors such as parity, calving period and season, with higher incidence in early lactations and adverse seasons. These disorders lead to notable economic losses, highlighting the importance of improved management for better productivity.
Economic losses, Lactation disorders, Non-genetic factors, Parity, Season of calving
