Correlation of body condition score of cows and milk production in standard lactation
Authors: Novakovic Z. , Sretenovic Lj. , Petrovic M.M. , Aleksic S. , Pantelic V. , Ostojic-Andric D. , Marinkov G. 
Published: January 2013

The aim of the study was, within the tested samples of high yielding
Holstein-Friesian cows (n = 363), to analyze the significance of the actual
level of correlation between the average BCS of cows according to body
regions and results in the production of milk indifferent stages and the
standard duration of lactation. Differences in average realized BCS in regard
to the recommended values in stages of production cycle were highly
significant (p ? 0.01). In general, realized correlation coefficients, whose
significance was tested, were at very low level. The average value of the BCS
at dry off period in the first, second and third body region was
statistically significantly (p <0.05) and highly significantly (p <0.01)
positively associated with milk production during the first 100 days of
lactation. The mean value of BCS at dry off period in the second body region
was in a statistically significant positive correlation (p <0.05) with the
production of milk in the second 100 days and standard lactation. The average
value of BCS at dry off period for all three body regions was highly
significantly (p <0.05) positively associated with milk production in the
first 100 days. The mean value of BCS at calving in the first body region was
highly significantly (p <0.01) positively associated with milk production
during the first and the second 100 days of lactation and standard lactation.
Average BCS value at calving for the second body region was highly
significantly (p <0.01) positively correlated with milk production in the
first and second 100 days of lactation and significantly positvely correlated
(p <0.05) with the production of milk in the standard lactation. The mean
value of BCS at calving in the third body region was highly significantly (p
<0.01) positively correlated with milk production during the first 100 days
of lactation and significantly positively correlated (p <0.05) with the
production of milk in the second 100 days and standard lactation. Average BCS
value for all three body regions at calving was in a highly significant (p
<0.01) positive correlation with milk production in the first hundred days of
lactation. A significant positive correlation (p <0.05) with the production
of milk in the second 100 days and a standard lactation was achieved. The
average value of BCS at the peak of lactation for the first, second and third
body region was significantly (p<0.05) and highly significantly (p<0.01)
negatively correlated with the production of milk in a standard lactation.
The mean value of BCS at the peak of lactation for all three body regions was
very significantly (p <0.01) negatively correlated with the production of
milk in the standard lactation. The mean value of BCS in the mid-lactation
for the first, second and third body region was highly significantly (p
<0.01) negatively correlated with the production of milk in the standard
lactation. BCS average value for all three body regions in the mid-lactation
was very significantly (p <0.01) negatively correlated with the production of
milk in the standard lactation.