Milk yield an milk quality of beef cows during the suckling period

The milk yield of suckling cows is an important requirement for the growth of weaning calves. The daily milk yield of 57 suckling cows was recorded in different stages of suckling period. As methods of the milk recording were used "weigh-suckle-weigh" and machine milking with application of oxytocin . The means of the 200 days milk yield were 1,754 kg in suckling cows of th e Red Angus breed at Hungarian farm and 2,868 kg for different genotypes on a grassland location in the North of Germany. On average, the percentage o f milk fat was (x) over bar = 4.26% +/- 1.17%, of protein (x) over bar = 3. 62% +/- 0.39% and of lactose (x) over bar = 4.80% +/- 0.35%, respectively. Significant relations were recorded between the milk yield in the first 6(t h) months of suckling period and the daily weight gain (coefficients from r = 0.541 to r = 0.581).