Seasonal variations in coat thickness of Jersey breed cows and their correlations with milk production

Abstract

Coat thickness of 45 Jersey cows was measured in two seasons of year (winter and summer) in order to calculate the correlations between hair coat thickness and milk production. All measurements were taken in four selected regions of animal body: shoulders, loin, rump and ribs. Differences in coat thickness were observed amongst animals and amongst regions of animal body either in summer or winter seasons. Correlations between coat thickness and milk production seem to indicate that higher milk production cows have thinnest hair coat, being the most significant those coefficients related to the regions of shoulders and ribs in summer time.