Relation of Estimation Method, Sampling Interval and Milk Composition to Milk Yield of Beef Cows and Calf Gain

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Abstract
TWENTY-FOUR beef cows were maintained in drylot through three lactations to provide 36 complete 210-day lactations terminating with a weaned calf. Calves were separated from their dams at 10 days, allowed to nurse twice daily, and provided a maintenance allowance of supplemental ration from 112 to 210 days. Milk yield was estimated by weighing the calf before and after nursing (calf-weight-change) twice daily 6 days each week, and by milking one udder half while the calf nursed (hand-milking) twice 1 day per week. Sex-corrected calf weight at 210 days and daily gain to 70, 112 and 210 days were calculated. Milk was analyzed for fat and total solids. Calf-weight-change estimates of milk yield were higher and less variable than hand-milking estimates at every stage of lactation; average daily milk yield estimated by calf-weight-change was 29% higher than the yield estimated by hand-milking, 5.85 vs. 4.54 kg, respectively, for 210 days. Copyright © 1973. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1973 by American Society of Animal Science.

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