Impact of Climate Change and Heat Stress on Milk Production in Korean Holstein Cows: A Large-Scale Data Analysis

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of heat stress on milk production in Korean Holstein cows using large-scale data. Heat stress was assessed using the temperature-humidity index (THI). Weather records (2016 to 2020) were collected from 70 regional weather stations using an installed automated surface observing system (ASOS). A dataset of 2,094,436 milk production records from 215,276 Holstein cows obtained from the Dairy Cattle Genetic Improvement Center was analyzed. Stepwise selection was used to select the input variables, including the daily maximum THI (THI_max). Least-squares means were calculated for milk yield, fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM), fat and protein yield, fat-to-protein ratio, solids not fat, and lactation persistency. Segmented linear regression analysis determined the break points (BPs) of the THI_max. Over the five years, heat stress exposure increased, particularly from May to September. This study identified BPs around THI_max of 80–82 for milk yield and FPCM. Similar patterns for other milk traits were observed, which significantly decreased beyond their respective BPs. These findings indicate that THI variations adversely affect milk yield and composition in dairy cows, highlighting the importance of appropriate feeding management strategies to ensure the optimal productivity of Holstein cows under varying climatic conditions.

Pregnancy Rates of Holstein Friesian Cows with Cavitary or Compact Corpus Luteum

“…Milk production was not influenced by season nor by the type of CL. Although no specific meteorological measurements were taken during the study, this result is surprising, as lower milk yields are usually reported in dairy cattle studies during elevated ambient temperatures in summer [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ].…”

Effect of Calving Season on Productive Performance of Dairy Cows

“…According to the research of several authors [26,[28][29][30], the risk of HS occurs when THI values exceed 68 or 72. According to Jeon et al [31], it is more accurate to study the influence of the maximum values of the THI (THI_max) on the quantity and quality of milk.…”