Effects of Pre- and Postfresh Transition Diets Varying in Dietary Energy Density on Metabolic Status of Periparturient Dairy Cows
2005
Rabelo, E. | Rezende, R. L. | Bertics, S. J. | Grummer, R. R.
Effects of dietary energy density during late gestation and early lactation on metabolic status of periparturient cows were studied. Four weeks before expected calving, animals were fed a low (DL; 1.58 Mcal of NE[subscript L]/kg) or high energy density diet (DH; 1.70 Mcal of NE[subscript L]/kg). After calving, half of the cows from each prepartum treatment were assigned to a low (L; 1.57 Mcal of NE[subscript L]/kg) or high energy density diet (H; 1.63 Mcal of NE[subscript L]/kg) until d 20 postpartum. After d 20, all animals were fed H until d 70. Animals fed DH had a more positive energy balance during the prepartum period. Animals fed DH had higher plasma concentrations of glucose and insulin and lower concentrations of plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) on d -7 relative to calving compared with animals fed DL. No differences in blood concentrations of metabolites, insulin and liver triglycerides (TG) content were observed on d 1. Liver TG content at d 1 and 21 were more related to magnitude of change in energy intake prepartum than to energy intake in the last week of gestation. Cows fed H had higher concentrations of plasma glucose and insulin, but similar plasma NEFA during the postpartum period compared with cows fed L. Plasma concentrations of {szligbeta}-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and liver TG content on d 21 were 46 and 30% lower, respectively, for cows fed H compared with cows fed L. Interactions between prepartum and postpartum treatments indicated that negative effects of delaying higher concentrate feeding until d 21 postpartum can be partially offset by increasing concentrate in the diet before calving. Cows fed L had a higher increase in white line hemorrhage scores between prepartum and 10 wk postpartum compared with cows fed H. Energy density of prepartum diets had a minor influence on metabolic status of cows postpartum. A more favorable metabolic profile occurs when increasing the concentrate content of the diet immediately postpartum compared with delaying the increase until d 21 postpartum.
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