Identification of Holstein-Friesian Lactating Cows as Good Replacement Stocks under Small-Scale Dairy Farming in a Highland of West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

Good replacement stock has an essential role to improve animal productivity and to ensure the sustainability of domestic small-scale dairy cattle farming. This study was done in HF dairy farmers as the members of two Milk Collection Units (of 23 MCUs) at North Lembang Milk Cooperation Unit (NLMCU). Research was located in the selected dairy cattle area of having dense cow population, high milk production and prospective region in a mountainous field of Lembang Subdistrict, West Java. Farmers as samples were dominated by small-scale ownerships by commonly applying a low input system. A recorder was contracted to record daily milk yield (morning and evening) of individual lactating cows in a rotation manner for one record per cow per month during five months of lactation from June to October in 2010. The total number of lactating cows recorded in the accordance of the recorder capability was 180 heads. The observed cows varied in the status of early lactation (1-4) and lactation period (1-5). Averages of test day milk from the 1st to 5th months (TD1-TD5) were successively 17.2 ± 4.2, 16.0 ± 3.9, 14.8 ± 3.4, 13.4 ± 2.6, and 13.0 ± 2.3 l/d. Cumulative milk production for 5 months of lactation (CMP 5mo.) was calculated as the sum of the multiplication of each standardized TD (TD2-TD6) x 30 (number of days each month). The resulted showed the average of the estimated CMP 5mo. was 2296 ± 469 lt. (1200-3780 lt.). Cows with CMP 5mo. above 2296 lt. could be considered as good replacement stocks. As the results of this evaluation was still early, data of completed milk yield and related lactation traits should be continually collected to get more precisely information in identifying qualified replacement stocks to ensuring the improvement of dairy cattle milk yield and productivity.