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Measurement of milk temperature as an aid to oestrus detection in dairy cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

P. J. H. Ball
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading, Berkshire RG2 9AT, England
S. V. Morant
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading, Berkshire RG2 9AT, England
E. J. Cant
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading, Berkshire RG2 9AT, England

Summary

The rectal temperatures of ten cows were measured each morning and their milk temperatures measured at each morning and afternoon milking for 40 days in order to study the value of these temperature measurements in determining the best time to inseminate, whether or not standing oestrus is exhibited. The best determination was based on the observation that a cow in oestrus had a milk temperature, taken at morning or afternoon milking, at least 0·1 °C higher than the corresponding temperature on any one of the previous 15 days. This method successfully detected 12 of 14 oestrous periods in the 10 cows (86%) and gave a false positive diagnosis on 6 days out of a total of 236 non-oestrous days (2·6 %).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

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