Multiphasic Analysis of Lactation Curves in Dairy Cattle

Abstract

A multiphasic function that considers milk yield to result from an accumulation from more than one phase of lactation was used to describe a lactation curve. Estimated mean milk yields from purebred Dutch Friesian Black and White cows for 15 test d with 20-d intervals, starting from 10 d in milk, were fitted by nonlinear regression using the sum of logistic functions: