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Some attributes of twin-bearing British Friesian and Canadian Holstein cows recorded in England and Wales

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2009

Peter D. P. Wood
Affiliation:
Milk Marketing Board, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0EL, UK

Summary

The production of milk, fat and protein of 37216 mothers of twins was compared with that of 1691 127 mothers of single calves of Black and White breeds of cattle recorded in England and Wales. At every parity, the mothers of twins produced more milk, fat and protein than the mothers of single calves. The proportion of twin-bearing cows retained increased with parity, from 0·67% at first calving to ∼ 4·0% at the tenth or eleventh calving. More mothers of twins achieved 305 d of lactation subsequently than mothers of single calves, although their inter-calving intervals were not generally longer.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 1984

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References

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