Changes in Milk Production in Relation to Changes in Feeding and Management Practices in Dairy Herd Improvement Association Herds

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Abstract
All Holstein herds of over 20 cows which had automated data processed Dairy Herd Improvement Association records from Cornell laboratory for 2 consecutive years from 1960 to 1964 were used to determine production, feeding, and management changes. The average number of herds for the four 2-yr comparisons was 2,688, 60% in New York and the remainder in neighboring states. Results in the 2 locations agreed. The yearly changes and standard deviations of changes per cow for the New York herds were milk production, +157 [plus or minus]400 kg; grain feeding, +88 [plus or minus]J541 kg; succulent forage, +0.13 [plus or minus]1.76 metric ton; dry forage, -0.04[plus or minus]0.50 metric ton; net energy from pasture, -0.06 [plus or minus] 6.10%; herd size, +1.8 [plus or minus]5.65 cows; days in milk, +0.24 +2.93%. Only 2 factors were closely correlated with change in milkproduction-change in grain fed and change in per cent days in milk. Multiple regression analysis, using the 6 factors above, indicated that a change of 1 kg in grain feeding resulted in a change of 0.84 kg of milk and a 1% change in days in milk gave a change of 45 kg of milk.

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