Energy level and milking frequency at dry-off do not affect colostrogenesis in dairy cows

TY - ABST

T1 - Energy level and milking frequency at dry-off do not affect colostrogenesis in dairy cows

AU - Larsen, Mogens

AU - Samarasinghe, Milani Bhagya

AU - Hernandez Castellano, Lorenzo E

PY - 2021/8

Y1 - 2021/8

N2 - This study aimed to evaluate whether the different management strategies used at dry-off based on energy level and milking frequency can affect colostrogenesis prepartum, influencing therefore colostrum yield and composition in dairy cows. In this study, 40 Holstein cows dried-off from 1st, 2nd and 3rd lactation with milk yield ≥15 kg/d were used in a randomized block (parity groups 1st or 2nd+3rd) design with 4 treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. Cows were continuously enrolled every second week in batches of 2-6 cows. Treatments were based on feeding either 100% (HEn) or 50% (LEn) energy requirements for late lactation cows and milked either twice (HMi) or once (LMi) daily in the last week before dry-off. Therefore, these resulted in the following experimental groups: (1) HEn-HMi (n=10); (2) HEn-LMi (n=9); (3) LEn-HMi (n=13); and (4) LEn-LMi (n=11). After dry-off, cows were fed with a ration formulated to fulfil all nutritional requirements for dry cows. Within 6 h postpartum, cows were milked and the colostrum yield and BRIX% were recorded. In addition, colostrum samples were used to determine fat, protein, somatic cell count (SCC), immunoglobulin G (IgG) and calcium concentrations as well as lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH). A one-way ANOVA model was used including fixed effects of energy level (100 vs 50% energy requirements), milking frequency (twice vs once daily), and the interaction between both. Significance was set at P<0.05. None of the effects tested in this experiment (i.e. energy level and milking frequency) affected either colostrum yield (10.2±0.89 l) or BRIX%(25.5±0.79%) (P>0.05). Similarly, treatments affected neither contents of fat (4.53±0.66%), protein (15.3±0.99%), IgG (79.0±9.84 mg/ml), calcium (60.0±3.81 mM), SCC (2.91±0.13 log10/ml) nor LDH (1.85±0.07 log10/ml) activity (P>0.05) in colostrum. In conclusion, the dry-off strategies based on either energy level or milking frequency did not seem to affect colostrum yield and composition.

AB - This study aimed to evaluate whether the different management strategies used at dry-off based on energy level and milking frequency can affect colostrogenesis prepartum, influencing therefore colostrum yield and composition in dairy cows. In this study, 40 Holstein cows dried-off from 1st, 2nd and 3rd lactation with milk yield ≥15 kg/d were used in a randomized block (parity groups 1st or 2nd+3rd) design with 4 treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. Cows were continuously enrolled every second week in batches of 2-6 cows. Treatments were based on feeding either 100% (HEn) or 50% (LEn) energy requirements for late lactation cows and milked either twice (HMi) or once (LMi) daily in the last week before dry-off. Therefore, these resulted in the following experimental groups: (1) HEn-HMi (n=10); (2) HEn-LMi (n=9); (3) LEn-HMi (n=13); and (4) LEn-LMi (n=11). After dry-off, cows were fed with a ration formulated to fulfil all nutritional requirements for dry cows. Within 6 h postpartum, cows were milked and the colostrum yield and BRIX% were recorded. In addition, colostrum samples were used to determine fat, protein, somatic cell count (SCC), immunoglobulin G (IgG) and calcium concentrations as well as lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH). A one-way ANOVA model was used including fixed effects of energy level (100 vs 50% energy requirements), milking frequency (twice vs once daily), and the interaction between both. Significance was set at P<0.05. None of the effects tested in this experiment (i.e. energy level and milking frequency) affected either colostrum yield (10.2±0.89 l) or BRIX%(25.5±0.79%) (P>0.05). Similarly, treatments affected neither contents of fat (4.53±0.66%), protein (15.3±0.99%), IgG (79.0±9.84 mg/ml), calcium (60.0±3.81 mM), SCC (2.91±0.13 log10/ml) nor LDH (1.85±0.07 log10/ml) activity (P>0.05) in colostrum. In conclusion, the dry-off strategies based on either energy level or milking frequency did not seem to affect colostrum yield and composition.

U2 - 10.3920/978-90-8686-918-3

DO - 10.3920/978-90-8686-918-3

M3 - Conference abstract in proceedings

SN - 978-90-8686-366-2

T3 - EAAP Book of Abstracts

SP - 477

EP - 477

BT - Book of Abstracts of the 72nd Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science

A2 - Strandberg, E.

A2 - Pinotti, L.

A2 - Messori, S.

A2 - Kenny, D.

A2 - Lee, M.

A2 - Hocquette, J.F.

A2 - Cadavez, V.A.P.

A2 - Millet, S.

A2 - Evans, R.

A2 - Veldkamp, T.

A2 - Pastell, M.

A2 - Pollott, G.

PB - Wageningen Academic Publishers

T2 - 72nd Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science

Y2 - 29 August 2021 through 3 September 2021

ER -