PHENOTYPIC EVALUATION OF MILK FAT AND PROTEIN TRAITS IN RELATION TO MATERNAL ANCESTRY IN TWO ROMANIAN CATTLE BREEDS

CLAUDIA PÂNZARU(1), MARIANA NISTOR (ANTON)(2), MĂDĂLINA ALEXANDRA DAVIDESCU(1), MARIUS GHEORGHE DOLIȘ(1), ALEXANDRU USTUROI(1*), VASILE MACIUC(1)

1. ”Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iași University of Life Sciences, 8 Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700489 Iași, Romania
2. National Agency for Animal Husbandry "Prof. Dr. G. K. Constantinescu", Bucharest-Ploiești Road, km 18, 2, 077015, Balotești, Ilfov County, Romania
* Corresponding author: alexandru.usturoi@iuls.ro

DOI: https://doi.org/10.29081/ChIBA.2025.645

Abstract

To assess the phenotypic performance of dairy cattle ancestry, data were analyzed for three direct maternal lines: mother (M.), paternal grandmother (PG.), and maternal grandmother (MG.), as fat and protein (percentage and kg) and combined fat and protein yield (kg). The study involved two Romanian breeds, from two different farms, Bălțată cu negru românească and Bălțată românească; for the first one, the fat and protein contents were as follows: 3.33 ± 0.05 % fat and 3.28 ± 0.02 % protein for M., 4.08 ± 0.11 % fat and 0.00 % protein for PM., and 3.16 ± 0.14% fat and 3.23 ± 0.05% protein for MG. In Bălțată românească’s case, the values were: 3.99 ± 0.07 % fat and 3.46 ± 0.07 % protein for M., 4.14 ± 0.06 % fat and 3.55 ± 0.07 % protein for PG., and 3.97 ± 0.17 % fat and 3.32 ± 0.05 % protein for MG. On average, BR, the mothers produced 208.9 kg of fat and 167.1 kg of protein per lactation, while BNR cows produced 199.4 kg of fat and 160.2 kg of protein. At the grandparental level, maternal grandmothers of BR cows produced on average 207.2 kg fat and 165.9 kg protein, while paternal grandmothers produced 210.3 kg fat and 168.4 kg protein; in the BNR population, maternal grandmothers produced 198.1 kg fat and 159.6 kg protein, while paternal grandmothers produced 200.8 kg fat and 161.3 kg protein. The ancestry in the farm that raises BR, originated from imported Fleckvieh genetics, contributing to superior performance.


Keywords

Bălțată cu negru românească Bălțată românească dairy cattle fat milk protein quality