Estrus expression of dairy cows after calving with and without using cooling system

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to compare the estrus expression of postpartum Friesian Holstein (FH) dairy cows with and without the cooling system in Cendana, Enrekang. A total of 9 postpartum FH dairy cows were used in this study, 3 of them were placed in the cold house and the other 6 cows were placed without a cooling system. The feeding consisted of forage, rice bran, and water, which was free access; ad libitum. The parameters measured in this study were (1) the signs of secondary estrus signs, such as vulva condition, mating behavior, mucus secretions, and (2) the duration of estrus, which was counting from the first estrus to the last observation where the cows were no longer showing the estrus symptoms. These parameters were compared by using the t-test. The results showed that the cervical mucus of dairy cows with the cold house was clearer intensity than those without a cooling system (66.7 vs. 16.7%). The changing behavior of dairy cows with cold houses showed higher intensity than without cold houses (100 vs. 67%). The duration of estrus in dairy cows with cooling had significantly (P<0.05) longer than those without cooling (24.4±1.5 vs. 18.3±2.2 hours). It can be concluded that the signs of secondary estrus for those dairy cows in the cooling system showed a clear appearance than those dairy cows without a cooling system. The duration of estrus with a cooling system was longer than without a cooling system.