Body condition scores at calving and their association with dairy cow performance and health in semiarid environment under two cooling systems

Abstract

Under tropical environments cow’s body condition at calving may influence productivity and health performance. Therefore, the current research evaluated the impact of body condition score (BCS) at calving on milk production traits and health problems of primiparous and multiparous cows raised under two cooling systems in semi-arid environment. Milk yield parameters and health disorders data at different parities were obtained from 1700 Holstein cows, which were managed under Korral Kool (KKC) and fan (FC) cooling systems in Saudi Arabia. The results revealed that KKC system induced high level of milk production improvement (305TM, days in milk, daily milk yield) (P<0.05) compared to FC, especially in multiparous cows. There was an advantage of the high BCS group under KKC system over the FC system for peak yield and period. Cows from both cooling systems having moderate BCS outdid the other groups for total milk yield. Low BCS primiparous cows reared under KKC system were the most to suffer from stillbirth (18%), and calving ease (26.1%) in winter, while high BCS were the most to be treated for mastitis (8.5% in summer). On the other hand, spring calved multiparous cows raised under FC system suffered more from lameness (21.57% - high BCS) and milk fever (4.4% - moderate BCS). Further, cows having moderate BCS kept under KKC system had the highest incidence of lameness (62.2%), and abomasum displacement (4.4%). In conclusion, achieving correct BCS at calving and cooling system is important to avoid calving subsequent lactation performance and metabolic disease losses.