Analysis of Non-Genetic Factors Affecting Wood’s Model of Daily Milk Fat Percentage of Holstein Cattle

Abstract

This research paper aimed to explore the characteristics of Holstein cattle’s milk fat percentage lactation curve and its influencing factors. The Wood model was used for fitting the lactation curve of 398,449 DHI test-day milk fat percentage records of Holstein cows from 2018 to 2020 in 12 dairy farms in Jiangsu province, and the influencing factors—including farm size, parity, calving season, calving interval, and 305-days milk production—on the parameters of the lactation curve were analyzed. The results showed that the non-genetic factors such as dairy farm size, calving season, parity, calving interval, and 305-days milk yield have a significant impact on milk fat percentage (p < 0.01); the average R2 of the daily milk fat percentage curve was 0.9699; the lowest milk fat percentage was 3.54%; the time to reach the lowest milk fat percentage was 126 days; and the persistence of milk fat percentage was 3.59%. All of these factors explored in this study fit at different levels above 0.96. The Wood model performed well in the fitting and analysis of the milk fat percentage curve of Holstein cattle in Jiangsu Province. This study provides a reference for improving the milk fat percentage of Holstein cattle.