Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T13:31:36.077Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of dry period length on reproductive performance and productivity of Lacaune dairy sheep under an intensive management system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2012

Fernando Hernandez ,
Laura Elvira ,
Juan-Vicente Gonzalez-Martin  and
Susana Astiz
Fernando Hernandez
Affiliation:
‘Granja Cerromonte SL’, San Juan de la Encinilla, 05358 Ávila, Spain
Laura Elvira
Affiliation:
TRIALVET S.L., C/ Encina, 22, 28721 Cabanillas de la Sierra, Madrid, Spain
Juan-Vicente Gonzalez-Martin
Affiliation:
TRIALVET S.L., C/ Encina, 22, 28721 Cabanillas de la Sierra, Madrid, Spain Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Complutense of Madrid (UCM), Avda Pta. de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Susana Astiz*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Reproduction, INIA, Avda Pta. de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Intensive management is almost the only way to ensure dairy farm profitability. The dry period length (DPL) is a key factor in the productivity and health of dairy cows, but whether the same is true of dairy sheep is unclear. This study investigated the effects of DPL on the performance of Lacaune sheep under intensive management. We recorded 8136 lactations from 4220 ewes on one farm for the period 2005–2010, and data from a total of 6762 complete lactations 1–4 were included in the study. The length of the dry period following the current lactation was studied. The larger the total milk yield (MY) and daily milk yield (DMY), the shorter was the DPL before the next lactation. DPL correlated with MY (r=−0·384), DMY (r=−0·277) and the lambing-to-conception interval (LC; r=0·201, P<0·0001) in the global analysis of all lactations (lactations 1–4). The influence of previous-DPL (P-DPL), or the length of the period prior to the start of the next lactation, was studied for 4318 lactations. P-DPL was classified into five intervals: very short (P-DPL-XS), 1–30 d; short (P-DPL-S), 31–60 d; medium (P-DPL-M), 61–90 d; long (P-DPL-L), 91–120 d; and very long (P-DPL-XL), >120 d. P-DPL positively correlated with lambing-to-next conception interval (LNC; r=0·095, P<0·0001) for lactations 1–4. LNC was significantly shorter for P-DPLs that were very short, short, or long (P-PDL-XS, 144·2±67·8 d; P-PDL-S, 149·1±57·2 d; P-PDL-L, 152·0±53·7 d) than for groups with very long or medium P-PDLs (P-DPL-XL, 161·5±62·9 d; P-DPL-M, 169·0±74·8 d; P<0·0001). Moreover, P-DPLs that were very short, long, or very long were associated with the lowest milk yields (P-PDL-XS, 377±215 l; P-PDL-l, 370±168 l; P-PDL-XL, 396±196 l). These yields were significantly lower than the yields for short and medium P-DPLs (P-DPL-S, 432±187 l; P-DPL-M, 436±191 l; P<0·0001) when averages of lactations 1–4 were analysed. These results indicate that lactations with larger MY are followed by a shorter dry period, and that a dry period of 30–90 d leads to larger yields in the next lactation. The best LNC was associated with the shortest Previous-DPL. Hence, 30–60 d should be the optimal dry period length for Lacaune sheep under intensive conditions.

Keywords

Lacaunedairy sheepdry period lengthperformanceintensive management
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 79 , Issue 3 , August 2012 , pp. 352 - 360
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bachman, KC & Schairer, ML 2003 Invited review: bovine studies on optimal lengths of dry periods. Journal of Dairy Science 86 3027–3037 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barillet, F, Marie, C, Jacquin, M, Lagriffoul, G & Astruc, JM 2001 The French Lacaune dairy sheep breed: use in France and abroad in the last 40 years. Livestock Production Science 71 17–29 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bernier-Dodier, P, Girard, CL, Talbot, BG & Lacasse, P 2011 Effect of dry period management on mammary gland function and its endocrine regulation in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 94 4922–4936 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Butler, WR 2000 Nutritional interactions with reproductive performance in dairy cattle. Animal Reproduction Science 60–61 449–457 Google ScholarPubMed
Eyal, E, Lawi, A, Folman, Y & Morag, M 1978 Lamb and milk production of a flock of dairy ewes under an accelerated breeding regime. Journal of Agricultural Science 91 69–79 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Finocchiaro, R, van Kaam, JB, Portolano, B & Misztal, I 2005 Effect of heat stress on production of Mediterranean dairy sheep. Journal of Dairy Science 88 1855–1864 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flamenbaum, I & Galon, N 2010 Management of heat stress to improve fertility in dairy cows in Israel. Journal of Reproduction and Development 56 (Suppl) S36–S41 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fuertes, JA, Gonzalo, C, Carriedo, A & San Primitivo, F 1998 Parameters of test day milk yields and milk components for dairy ewes. Journal of Dairy Science 81 1300–1307 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gabiña, D, Arrese, F, Arranz, J & Beltran de Heredia, I 1993 Average milk yields and environmental effects on Latxa sheep. Journal of Dairy Science 76 1191–1198 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gootwine, E & Pollott, GE 2000 Factors affecting milk production in improved Awassi dairy ewes. Animal Science 71 607–615 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grummer, RR 2007 Strategies to improve fertility of high yielding dairy farms: management of the dry period. Theriogenology 68S S281–S288 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gümen, A, Rastani, RR, Grummer, RR & Wiltbank, MC 2005 Reduced dry periods and varying prepartum diets alter postpartum ovulation and reproductive measures. Journal of Dairy Science 88 2401–2411 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hernandez, F, Elvira, L, Gonzalez-Martin, JV, Gonzalez-Bulnes, A & Astiz, S 2011 Influence of age at first lambing on reproductive and productive performance of Lacaune dairy sheep under an intensive management system. Journal of Dairy Research 78 160–167 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kassem, R, Owen, JB & Fedel, I 1989 Rebreeding activity in milking Awassi ewes under semi-arid conditions. Animal Production 49 89–93 Google Scholar
Kuhn, MT, Hutchison, JL & Norman, HD 2006 Effects of length of dry period on yields of milk fat and protein, fertility and milk somatic cell score in the subsequent lactation of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Research 73 154–162 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuhn, MT, Hutchison, JL & Norman, HD 2007 Dry period length in US Jerseys: characterization and effects on performance. Journal of Dairy Science 90 2069–2081 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrissey, AD, Cameron, AWN & Tilbrook, AJ 2008 Pregnancy does not affect commercial milk yield in dairy ewes managed to lamb at 9-month intervals. Small Ruminant Research 76 211–214 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Natzke, RP, Everett, RW & Bray, DR 1975 Effect of drying off practices on mastitis infection. Journal of Dairy Science 58 1828–1835 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oravcová, M, Margetín, M, Peškovičová, D, Daňo, J, Milerski, M, Hetényi, L & Polák, P 2006 Factors affecting milk yield and ewe's lactation curves estimated with test-day models. Czechish Journal of Animal Science 51 483–490 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Palacín, I, Abecia, JA, Forcada, F, Casao, A, Cebrián, JA, Muiño, T, Palacios, C & Pontes, JM 2008 Effects of exogenous melatonin treatment on out-of-season ram fertility. Italian Journal of Animal Science 7 199–206 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peralta-Lailson, M, Trejo-González, AÁ, Pedraza-Villagómez, P, Berruecos-Villalobos, JM & Vasquez, CG 2005 Factors affecting milk yield and lactation curve fitting in the Creole sheep of Chiapas-Mexico. Small Ruminant Research 58 265–273 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pezeshki, A, Mehrzad, J, Ghorbani, GR, Rahmani, HR, Collier, RJ & Burvenich, C 2007 Effects of short dry periods on performance and metabolic status in Holstein dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 90 5531–5541 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pinedo, P, Risco, C & Melendez, P 2011 A retrospective study on the association between different lengths of the dry period and subclinical mastitis, milk yield, reproductive performance, and culling in Chilean dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 94 106–115 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pollott, GE & Gootwine, E 2004 Reproductive performance and milk production of Assaf sheep in an intensive management system. Journal of Dairy Science 87 3690–3703 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pryce, JE, Royal, MD, Garnsworthy, PC & Mao, IL 2004 Fertility in the high-producing dairy cow. Livestock Production Science 86 125–135 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramírez-Andrade, B, Salama, AAK, Caja, G, Castillo, V, Albanell, E & Such, X 2008 Response to lactation induction differs by season of year and breed of dairy ewes. Journal of Dairy Science 91 2299–2306 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Regli, JG 1999 Farm adapted breeds: a panel presentation of flock performance records for Lacaune dairy sheep. In Proceedings of the 5th Great Lakes Dairy Sheep Symposium, Brattleboro, VT, USA, November 4–6, pp. 51–54 Google Scholar
Ruiz, R, Oregui, LM & Herrero, M 2000 Comparison of models for describing the lactation curve of Latxa sheep and an analysis of factors affecting milk yield. Journal of Dairy Science 83 2709–2719 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Santschi, DE, Lefebvre, D, Girard, CL & Pellerin, D 2009 Short dry period: a new reality? Results from a long term field study. Journal of Animal Science 87 (E-Suppl. 2) Journal of Dairy Science 92 E-Suppl 1 332 Google Scholar
Sorenson, JT, Enevoldsen, C & Kristensen, T 1993 Effects of different dry period lengths on production and economy in the dairy herd estimated by stochastic simulation. Livestock Production Science 33 77–90 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Such, X & Caja, G 1995 Résultats d'efficacité alimentaire a l'Université Autonome de Barcelone. Final Scientific Report of European Contract CAMAR No 8001-CT 91–0113Google Scholar
Watters, RD 2006 Effect of dry period duration on reproductive measures during the subsequent lactation in Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 89 288 Google Scholar
Watters, RD, Guenther, JN, Brickner, AE, Rastani, RR, Crump, PM, Clark, PW & Grummer, RR 2008 Effects of dry period length on milk production and health of dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 91 2595–2603 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watters, RD, Wiltbank, MC, Guenther, JN, Brickner, AE, Rastani, RR, Fricke, PM & Grummer, RR 2009 Effect of dry period length on reproduction during the subsequent lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 92 3081–3090 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
West, JW 2003 Effects of heat-stress on production in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 86 2131–2144 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wiggans, GR, VanRaden, PM, Bormann, J, Philpot, JC, Druet, T & Gengler, N 2002 Deriving lactation yields from test-day yields adjusted for lactation stage, age, pregnancy, and testday class. Journal of Dairy Science 85 264.e1–264.e11 CrossRefGoogle Scholar