Planos nutricionais sobre o consumo, o comportamento e saúde de vacas leiteiras de diferentes composições raciais durante o período de transição | Nutritional plans on the intake, behavior and the health status of dairy cows of different racial compositions during the transition period

Two experiments were carried to evaluate the effect of different nutritional plans on the DM intake, ingestive and social behavior and health status of dairy cows from different racial compositions during the transition period. In the first trial we evaluated the inclusion or not (CON) of 10 g / day of oregano (OE) extract (Origanum vulgare) or 5 g / day of green tea extract (GT) (Camellia sinensis L.) in the diet provided to 24 Jersey cows with BW of 441 ± 27 kg, 3.5 ± 0.3 points of BCS and with 2.7 ± 1.8 lactations. Cows that received OE tended to consume more than CON after calving. Before calving, cows OE tended to spend less time in decubitus and to ingest the concentrate in less time than GT. After calving, OE caused faster concentrate intake in relation to CON and GT. After calving, the number of total visits to the trough was lower when OE was used in relation to CON and GT, but cows that ingested GT visited the trough with feeding activity more often and tended to interact less in relation to cows that ingested EO. The use of the extracts did not influence the occurrence of diseases and metabolic disorders. In the second trial, 36 Holstein, Gir and Gyrolando F1 (½ Holstein and ½ Gir) nulliparous cows, with BW of 715 ± 64.5 kg, 4.2 ± 0.3 points of BCS and with 4.1 ± 0.4 years of age were distributed (6 cows from each racial composition) in two nutritionl plans with allowance of 1.89% or 1.69% of BW of feed (based on dry meter) during pre calving period. Dry matter intake was higher in pre and post calving for Holstein cows than the others, and it was higher in some days near the calving for 1.69% plan compared with 1.89% plan. Before calving, cows the 1.69% plan remained longer in the trough and tended to spend longer at the trough with feeding activity in relation to 1.89% plan. Holstein cows tended to stay longer in each visit with feeding at the trough and ingested more at each visit than the others before and after calving. The occurrence of diseases and metabolic disorders was not influenced by the nutritional plans but the Holstein cows showed more dystocia and clinical diseases compared to the others. Nutritional plans change the way the animals distributed their feed activities and influenced social behavior. The adoption of different nutritional plans during the period of transition modify aspects of dairy cow’s behavior and intake without affecting the occurrence of diseases.