Milk yield did not decrease in large herds of high-producing Holstein cows in semi-arid climate of Mexico

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the trends in milk production, fertility, temperature-humidity index (THI), and herd size in dairy herds from the Laguna region in northern Mexico. Records of 16 dairy herds of Holstein cows from January 2002 to December 2016 were used. Milk production was categorized in low and high levels. Milk production and fertility were analyzed using generalized equation estimation procedures by a model of repeated measures that included the effect of year, month, and productive level, an interaction for month × productive level, and herd effect was nested in productive level. For THI, a generalized linear model that included the effects of year and month was used. Dairy herds with high levels of milk production yielded more milk than those with low levels (P < 0.001). Milk production in 2002 and 2016 was 27.4 ± 0.6 and 32.3 ± 0.7 L/cow/day, respectively. Fertility fluctuated throughout the study. Dairy herds with high levels of milk production recorded higher fertility than those with low levels (P < 0.001). From October to April, THI was < 70, whereas it was > 73 from May to September, indicating that cows were in heat stress (20 h/day). The median herd size was 995 and 2569 cows in 2002 and 2016, respectively. In conclusion, in large herds, milk production increased over the years of study, whereas fertility showed a wave cycle; nonetheless, when THI was > 73, both milk production and fertility decreased.