Relationship between Zoometric Measurements in HolsteinFriesian Cow and Cubicle Size in Dairy Farms

Abstract

Body measurements in Portuguese Holstein-Friesian breed and its association with the dimensions of the cubicles were investigated. During a period of 5 months, body measurements and cubicles size data from 55 commercial Portuguese dairy herds were collected including in total 1054 individual cows. Data were analyzed using the general linear model and principal components. The most relevant body measurements were: height at withers (141.1±4.72 cm), height at rump (144.2±4.47 cm), length of trunk (170.8±8.31 cm), width of biiliac (55.9±4.17 cm) and perimeter of the thorax (206.8±10.43 cm). In general, the first class of parity showed significant different measures (P<0.001) associated with the development of animals. Head to head cubicle length and cubicle width were 223.0±11.0 cm and 113.0±5.0 cm respectively; whereas in cubicle against wall length was 227.0±18.0 cm and width 111.0±7.0 cm. The highest correlations were found for body measures between the different heights and between the height at chest and perimeter of the thorax. The analysis showed no relation between body measurements and dimensions of the cubicles. Principal component analysis of the different body measurements and cubicles dimensions expressed 51.4% of the total variability, in which the first factor represented 40.2% and the second factor 11.1%.