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Eating and ruminating behaviour of Holstein and Jersey cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

P C Aikman*
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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Extract

Declining longevity, poor fertility and increasing incidence of disease in Holstein cows has led to renewed interest in alternative dairy breeds. The Jersey is the second most popular breed in the UK, and its numbers have increased by 50% since 1999 (The Jersey Cattle Society). Limited research has indicated that there are physiological differences between the Jersey and larger dairy breeds, in addition to those of milk quality. Consequently, current dairy cow rationing systems may be inappropriate for Jerseys because they are based on data from Holsteins. The behaviour data presented here was part of a larger study which also compared the intake capacity, diet digestibility and rate of passage of Jersey and Holstein cows.

Type
Theatre presentations
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 The American Society of International Law

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References

Aikman, P.C., Boydell, A., Le Gallais, A., Humphries, D.J., Reynolds, C.K. and Beever, D.E. (2004). Diet digestibility and rate of passage in Jersey and Holstein cows during transition. J. Dairy Sci. 87, Suppl. 1:342.Google Scholar
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The Jersey Cattle Society (2005). www.jerseycattle.org. Accessed 21/10/05 Google Scholar