Effects of meeting the requirements in energy and protein, and of systemic inflammation on the interval from parturition to conception in dairy cows

Elke Humer, Leonhard Gruber and Qendrim Zebeli
Additional contact information
Elke Humer: Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Leonhard Gruber: Institute of Livestock Research, Agricultural Research and Education Centre Raumberg- Gumpenstein, Irdning, Austria
Qendrim Zebeli: Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Czech Journal of Animal Science, 2018, vol. 63, issue 6, 201-211

Abstract: Main aim of this retrospective study was to determine the role of the level of meeting the requirements in net energy of lactation (NEL) and utilizable crude protein at the duodenum (uCP) in weeks 3-17 postpartum on the interval from parturition until conception (IUC) in dairy cows. We compared intakes and balances of NEL and uCP, body weight change, metabolic status, reticuloruminal pH, and serum amyloid A (SAA) as a systemic inflammation marker in 30 dairy cows differing in the IUC length (i.e., short (S; n = 8), medium (M; n = 11), and long (L; n = 11) IUC for cows confirmed pregnant within week 10 or between weeks 11 and 17 postpartum, or thereafter, respectively). Data showed that the level of meeting the requirements in NEL and uCP in weeks 3-10 postpartum was instrumental in shortening the IUC in the cows pertaining to S IUC group (P ≤ 0.03). As an average, during this period the S cows met 104 and 110% of their requirements in NEL and uCP, respectively. In contrast, the M and L cows met 96 and 95% of NEL as well as 104 and 101% of uCP requirements, respectively. The M cows showed higher milk and blood urea nitrogen (P = 0.04), and also lower SAA concentration (P = 0.05) compared to L cows. In conclusion, exceeding the requirements in both NEL and uCP in weeks 3-10 postpartum significantly shortened the IUC to less than 10 weeks. The shorter IUC in M vs L cows went along with improved protein status and lesser systemic inflammation in week 6 postpartum in these cows.

Keywords: energy balance; cattle; early lactation; calving interval; acute phase reaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/13/2017-CJAS.html (text/html)
http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/13/2017-CJAS.pdf (application/pdf)
free of charge

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:63:y:2018:i:6:id:13-2017-cjas

DOI: 10.17221/13/2017-CJAS

Access Statistics for this article

Czech Journal of Animal Science is currently edited by Bc. Michaela Polcarová

More articles in Czech Journal of Animal Science from Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Ivo Andrle ().