ICAR Technical Series no. 7 - Nitra Proc.

JürgensMilk recording in GermanyH. JürgensLandeskontrollverband Weser-Ems e. V., Postfach 25 49,26 015 Oldenburg, GermanyE-mail: lkv-we@lwk-we.deCattle production in Germany in special respect of milk recording isdescribed in this paper. The extent of milk recording is 60 % of all dairyherds and 80 % of all dairy cows. Herd sizes are varying from 36 cows inthe western part and 192 cows in the eastern part of the country. Theaverage production in 2000 is 7019 kg milk with 4,21 % fat and 3,43 %protein with distinct differences depending on the breeds. Milk recordingmethods have developed in the last ten years strongly to AT- andB-Methods, also due to the development of modern Milkmeters espiciallythe Lacto Corder. 118 farms are using automatic milking systems.SummaryCattle production in Germany covers 14.5 million animals; 4.5 millions ofthem are dairy cows to fulfill the national milk quota of about 27.7 milliontons. Regular und systematic cattle breeding and milk recording inGermany have a long history. The first herdbook was founded in 1876 inFischbeck (Sachsen-Anhalt) and the first milk recording organization in1896 in Schleswig-Holstein.SituationTable 1 shows the momentary extent of milk recording; 60.1 % of all dairyfarms and 80.4 % of all dairy cows. The different herd sizes attract attention.In the western part of Germany the herd sizes get smaller from North toSouth and amount to nearly 36 cows and in the eastern part 192 cows, thisis due to the industrial milk production in the to former German DemocraticRepublic (DDR).ICAR Technical Series - No 797