Researchers from Spain studied 47 dairy herds (approximately 3,129 lactating cows) offering exactly the same lactating ration to determine the effect of nondietary factors on herd performance. Information was collected on a variety of nondietary factors including the herd owners’ future intentions, number of workers, cows’ reproductive performance, culling rate, cleanliness of facilities, number of feeders and information on management practices. The results were published in the August 2008 issue of the Journal of Dairy Science.
Although all the herds were fed the same ration and shared a similar genetic base, the average milk production per cow ranged from 45.42 to 74.5 pounds per day. According to the study, the most important nondietary factors that affected milk production in these dairy herds were:
- age at first calving
- presence or absence of feed refusals
- number of free stalls per lactating cow
- whether feed was pushed up in the feed bunk
(Source: High-Quality Ration, Now What? article by Hoard's Dairyman, November 2008 issue.)
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