The amount and composition of milk produced by dairy cows appears to be more regulated by internal, annual biological rhythms than by environmental factors such as heat and humidity, according to Penn State researchers who studied more than a decade of production records from herds across the country.
The amount and composition of milk produced by dairy cows appears to be more regulated by internal, annual biological rhythms than by environmental factors such as heat and humidity, according to Penn State researchers who studied more than a decade of production records from herds across the country.
Although researchers have long recognized an annual pattern of milk composition in dairy cattle — with higher milk fat and protein concentrations observed during the winter and lower levels occurring in the summer — the rhythms of milk yield and composition previously have not been well quantified.
The findings of the research are important because they better inform producers what to expect from their cows, according to Kevin Harvatine, associate professor of nutritional physiology, whose research group in the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences conducted the study. He noted that being more precisely aware of their cows' rhythms allows dairy farmers to better judge the effectiveness of management strategies.
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