82
Four Times Milking in Cows of Tharparkar Breed
in the subsequent lactations (vide Table II), a decrease of 41 per cent of yield is observed which is
attributed to reducing the frequency of milking from four to two times, since all other conditions
so far as these are controlable were the same. The actual difference between the average yields
of the 'four-time milkers' and 'two-time milkers' in their second, third and fourth lactations is
51 per cent. All these increases and decreases are statistically significant. Taking all cows under
two times milking and four times milking separately the percentage increases due to four times milk-
ing are 74 per cent for lactation yield, 47 per cent for average daily milk yield and 61 per cent for
average overall daily milk yield. The lower percentage for daily yield as compared with lactation
yield is due to the effect two-time milking has in decreasing the number of days in milk. These
striking increases due to four times milking coupled with 'handling' are far in excess of results
obtained with other breeds abroad. Ragsdale et al. [1934] after experimenting with Jersey and Ayr-
shire cows in Missouri (U. S. A.) found that four times milking effected 16 per cent increase of milk
over cows milked twice a day. In Maryland (U. S. A.) with Holsteins, Woodward [1931] found that
three times milking gave 20 per cent more milk and 21 per cent more butter-fat than cows milked
twice a day. Campbell [1930] found that the average increased yield of nine Graded Shorthorns
(at the Reading University Farm, U. K.) in their thrice daily milking year over the yield in then
preceding lactation was 19.3 per cent.
The average calving interval for cows under four times milking is 442 days, which is about 28
days longer than that of cows under two times milking. This is due to the slightly longer service
period necessitated by longer lactation period in the case of cows under four times milking. But
this longer calving interval has not affected the overall average, which is 61 per cent more than in
the case of the cows under two times milking.
Table IV shows the trend of yields of cows in the Sahiwal and Tharparkar herds in five succes
sive lactations under two and four times milking. It will be seen that under four times milking
the first lactation yield is 55 per cent higher in the case of the Tharparkar and 70 per cent higher
in the case of the Sahiwal than the corresponding yield under two times milking. Yet under four
times milking, most of the later lactations show significant increase over the first lactation which
is not the case under two times milking.
TABLE IV
Average lactation yields under two and four times milking in the Tharparkar and Sahiwal herds
Two times milking
Lact.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
No. of
cows.
(Before 1937)
01
61
48
37
24
(Before 1932)
99
89
77
59
44
Mean ± S.E.
(lb.)
3483±191
3365±178
3834±219
3884±247
3708±334
2944±120
3091±126
3367±130
3514±153
3128±187
C.V.
Four times milking
Lact.
No.
No. of
cows.
Tharparkar herd (Karnal)
42.8
41.3
39.6
38.7
44.2
1
2
3
4
5
Sahiwal herd (Delhi)
40.4
38.5
33.9
33.4
39.7
1
2
3
4
5
109
109
55
33
10
50
36
18
11
5
Mean ± S.E.
(lb.)
(After 1937)
5403±158
5540±175
6235±234
6176±341
5987±822
(After 1932)
5008±210
5612±279
6174±402
6373±498
6129±391
C.V.
30.5
33.0
27.8
31.7
43.4
29.6
29.9
27.7
25.9
14.3