Effects of energy and protein status on reproductive parameters and presence of subclinical ketosis in Brown Swiss cows postpartum

This study aimed to determine protein and energy metabolites in postpartum Brown Swiss cows and their effect on the presence of subclinical ketosis and reproductive parameters. One hundred cows from four farms in the Mantaro Valley (Junín, Perú) were grouped according to parity (1, 2, 3 and 4). The variables of the metabolic profile (total proteins, blood urea nitrogen [BUN], glucose, βhydroxybutyrate [B-HB]), milk production and body condition were estimated between 7 to 60 days postpartum in 7-day intervals. Likewise, the calving-first heat interval and the pregnancy rate at first service were recorded. The determination of subclinical ketosis was based on a semi-quantitative analysis by levels of B-HB in milk (µmol/l) using a commercial kit. BUN levels ranged between 11.74 and 15.92 mg/dl, being higher in fourth parity cows (p<0.05). The averages of total protein (6.54-7.90 g/dl) were homogeneous between calvings. The glucose values presented an inverse response, being lower in cows of third and fourth parity compared to cows of first and second parity (p<0.05). Similarly, the highest levels of milk production were observed in third parity cows (14.41 ± 5.42 l/d) and fourth parity (15.43 ± 4.36 l/d) with respect to first and second calvers (p<0.05). Body condition was lower in cows with subclinical ketosis. The calving - first heat interval and the pregnancy rate at first service were lower in cows with subclinical ketosis (p<0.05).

Prevalence of Ketosis Detected by an Electronic Cow Side Test and its Impact to Days Open on Dairy Cows

The study aimed to resolve and confirm the previous results of subclinical and clinical ketosis prevalence in northwestern Croatia detected by an electronic cow side test and its impact on days open in dairy herds. Cows (N=559) 2-8 years old from 96 farms located in northwestern Croatia were included in the study. The average milk yield was 7327.80 ± 968.21 kg. The cows were classified into two separate groups: ketotic cows group KET (n=73) with BHBA blood concentration of ≥1.4 mmol/L, and negative NEG (n=486) group with serum BHBA level of <1.4 mmol/L. One droplet of blood from the caudal vein was collect from randomly selected cows in the period 7 to 15 days after parturition. BHBA level determined with Precision Xceed BHBA devices. The period from parturition to first insemination (days open to the first (artificial) insemination, DOFI) was shorter in NEG than in the POS group (110.56±10.65 days vs.114.82±12.23 days, respectively) such as period from parturition to successful conception (days open to successful conception, DOSC), (139.97±15.18 days vs. 127.99±15.87 days, respectively). The prevalence of clinical and subclinical ketosis was 15.02%. Ketosis significantly prolonged days open to first artificial insemination and days open to successful conception in cows from northwestern Croatia.

Accuracy of Subclinical Ketosis Detection with Rapid Test Methods for BHBA in Blood in Commercial Dairy Farms

This study gives an overview of the performance and accuracy of devices used for the fast measurement of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) in blood for the on-farm indication of subclinical ketosis. Data were collected on ten dairy farms. In each farm, blood samples were taken from ten cows on four test days (2, 4, 9 and 11), resulting in 400 samples. The reference method was the BHBA concentration in blood serum (BHBALAB). Four different devices that measure BHBA in whole blood were tested. The thresholds applied for identifying subclinical ketosis were ≥1.0, ≥1.2 and ≥1.4 mmol/L in blood serum. The BHBALAB was assigned in three classes: low—≤0.9 mmol/L; high—>0.9 mmol/L; and total—all values unclassified. Due to initial negative effects on the health and performance of cows with BHBA levels ≥0.9 mmol/L, this cut-off was chosen. The Passing–Bablok regression revealed different constant as well as absolute biases for each device in the aforementioned classes. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve indicated highly accurate results, with 94–97% accuracy levels. As an overall conclusion, the performance of the devices was good and supports their use by farmers for the detection of subclinical ketotic cows in their herds.

Evaluation of Statistical Process Control Techniques in Monitoring Weekly Body Condition Scores as an Early Warning System for Predicting Subclinical Ketosis in Dry Cows

The management of body condition score (BCS) during the dry period is associated with the postpartum health outcomes of dairy cows. However, the difference between the actual BCS and the fixed ideal value is not able to accurately predict the occurrence of postpartum diseases. This study aimed to use statistical process control (SPC) technology to monitor the BCS of dry cows, to evaluate the effect of control charts on nutritional strategies, and to explore the utility of SPC in predicting the incidence of postpartum subclinical ketosis (SCK). The BCS and SCK data of 286 cows from the dry off period to 60 days postpartum were collected to set up the early warning function. Three control charts, including a control chart for the average BCS of the herds, for the BCS of each dry cow, and for individual BCS, were established. The early warning signs for postpartum SCK development were: (1) an individual BCS more than 3.5 that remained unchanged for six weeks; (2) a capability index (CPK), an SPC tool, greater than −0.52. Using these parameters, the early warning signs of SCK development were verified in 429 dry cows. The results showed that the accuracy of early warning signal was 0.64 and the precision was 0.26. The control chart showed that the average BCS of dry cows was consistently higher than the expected upper limit of BCS during the experimental period, and that the addition of new cows to the herds increased the average BCS. In summary, the application of SPC technology to monitor the BCS of dry cows was not a good tool for the prediction of postpartum SCK occurrence but was an appropriate tool for guiding positive nutrition strategies.

INFLUENCE OF SUBCLINICAL KETOSIS IN COWS ON FORMATION OF COLOSTRAL IMMUNITY IN CALVES

The health of the newborn depends entirely on the state of the mother’s body throughout the pregnancy. Ensuring optimal conditions for keeping pregnant animals is based, first of all, on adequate feeding and ensuring the sanitary and hygienic conditions of the environment. The cow’s body undergoes a great load during the transition period, which begins 3 weeks before calving and lasts for six weeks. When the technology of feeding and housing is violated, during this period, metabolic disorders often occur in cows, which are manifested by increased production of ketones. It is known that the development of immunity in the early postnatal period in a calf largely depends on the timely feeding of colostrum. Maternal immunoglobulins from colostrum enter the systemic circulation of the newborn in the small intestine through the tubular system of epithelial cells by pinocytosis.The aim of the study is to study the effect of subclinical ketosis in mothers cows on the formation of colostral immunity in calves born from them.For the study, pregnant cows 3-6 years old were selected 3-7 days before delivery. Urine and blood samples were taken from the cows. In order to identify subclinical ketosis in cows, urine was tested for ketones. According to the results of the study, two groups of 10 animals were formed – in the first group (experimental) the level of ketone bodies in the urine ranged from 1.8 to 3.7 mmol/l, in the second group (control) ketones were not found in the urine. Immediately after calving, portions of colostrum were taken from the cows, and blood was taken from newborn calves a day after the first colostrum was fed. The content of immunoglobulins was studied in skim colostrum and in the blood serum of newborn calves. In the blood serum of day-old calves, the content of total protein was also determined by the biuret method, albumin – by the photometric method with bromcresol green.According to the results of the study, a decrease in the classes of immunoglobulins G, M and A was found in the blood serum of cows before calving by 19.1-23.5%, in colostrum – by 23.7-34.4%, and in the blood serum of day old calves – by 21.7-27.6%. The decrease in IgM concentration was determined to the greatest extent. Subclinical ketosis of mothers had practically no effect on the content of albumin in the blood of calves.

Metabolite Comparison between Serum and Follicular Fluid of Dairy Cows with Inactive Ovaries Postpartum

Inactive ovaries (IO) is a kind of postpartum ovarian disease in dairy cows, which sometimes accounts for 50% of ovarian disease, which seriously affects the dairy cows’s reproductive efficiency. To explore the metabolic changes in the serum and follicular fluid of dairy cows with IO during lactation, in this study six estrus (E) cows and six IO cows at 50 to 55 days in milk were selected according to B ultrasonic detection and clinical manifestations. The differential metabolites in serum and follicular fluid between the E cows and IO cows were identified by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, combined with multidimensional statistical methods. The result shows that dairy cows with IO were in a subclinical ketosis status (BHBA > 1.20 mmol/L), 14 differential metabolites in the serum of IO cows included 10 increased metabolites and 4 decreased metabolites, while 14 differential metabolites in the follicular fluid of IO cows included 8 increased metabolites and 6 decreased metabolites. These differential metabolites mainly involve 9 metabolic pathways. Among them, the common enrichment pathway of different metabolites in serum and follicular fluid are glycerophospholipid metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions. In conclusion, there are significant differences in the differential metabolites and enrichment pathways between serum and follicular fluid of IO cows. It implies that there are the complex changes in blood metabolism and local follicular metabolism of IO cows with subclinical ketosis, which their interaction relationship needs to be further confirmed.

Blood and Milk Beta-Hydroxybutyric Acid Concentrations and Association of Subclinical Ketosis With Postpartum Health Disorders, Culling Rate, Body Condition Score, Parity and Milk Production in Holstein, Simmental, Montbeliard and Holstein-Crossbreed

A total of 300 dairy cows were randomly enrolled from 11 dairy farms in Turkey. The beta-hydroxybutyric acid concentration (BAC) was tested in the blood (BBAC) and individual milk (MBAC) samples at postpartum week 2 (PPW2) and week 4 (PPW4) for the detection of subclinical ketosis (SCK) in Holstein, Montbeliard, Simmental and Holstein-Crossbred (HC; only BBAC). The prevalence of BSCK (BBAC ≥ 1.2 mmol/L), MSCK1 (MBAC = 100 µmol/L), MSCK2 (MBAC ≥ 200 µmol/L) and MSCK1/2 (≥ 100 µmol/L) was 8.3, 11.8, 5.8 and 17.3% at PPW2 and 4.7, 4.9, 6.9 and 11.9% at PPW4 in Holstein respectively. SCK was not observed in Simmental and HC. The prevalence of BSCK and MSCK1 at PPW2 were 4.3 and 43.5% in Montbeliard respectively. Primiparous Montbeliard and Holstein had significantly higher MBAC at PPW2 than PPW4. Overall, HC and Montbeliard had significantly lower BBAC. Cows having body condition scores 2 and 4 at calving had higher MBAC at PPW2 and 4 that was associated significantly with metritis and multiple diseases. Holstein with BCS4 at calving had higher BBAC at PPW2 and 4. Holstein with SCK was more likely to develop postpartum metabolic health disorders (PPHD) in 90 days in milk (90DIM). MSCK1 did not associate milk production loss in Montbeliard and Holstein. Holstein with both BSCK and MSCK2 at PPW2 had a 6.7 kg average daily milk yield loss in 90DIM. Conclusively, SCK was not observed in Simmental and HC, and MSCK1 didn’t cause PPHD and milk yield loss in Montbeliard. BSCK and MSCK2 created a significant risk for PPHD and milk production loss in Holstein.

Exploring Dry-Film FTIR Spectroscopy to Characterize Milk Composition and Subclinical Ketosis throughout a Cow’s Lactation

The use of technologies for measurements of health parameters of individual cows may ensure early detection of diseases and maximization of individual cow and herd potential. In the present study, dry-film Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was evaluated for the purpose of detecting and quantifying milk components during cows’ lactation. This was done in order to investigate if these systematic changes can be used to identify cows experiencing subclinical ketosis. The data included 2329 milk samples from 61 Norwegian Red dairy cows collected during the first 100 days in milk (DIM). The resulting FTIR spectra were used for explorative analyses of the milk composition. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to search for systematic changes in the milk during the lactation. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to predict the fatty acid (FA) composition of all milk samples and the models obtained were used to evaluate systematic changes in the predicted FA composition during the lactation. The results reveal that systematic changes related to both gross milk composition and fatty acid features can be seen throughout lactation. Differences in the predicted FA composition between cows with subclinical ketosis and normal cows, in particular C14:0 and C18:1cis9, showed that dietary energy deficits may be detected by deviations in distinct fatty acid features.