ISSUE FOCUS 36 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE March 2022 A SUCCESSFUL LACTATION IS A MATTER OF PREPARATION! “Feed supplements that combine health-promoting ingredients can improve the general health status of a cow. An improved health status in relation to a well-managed transition period will in turn lead to an increased milk yield and improve the overall performance.” The time around calving is one of the most important periods in dairy farming. During this phase the basis for an efficient and profitable milk production is set. With the start of lactation, a rapid increase of the daily milk yield takes place. The immediate onset of an increased physical stress level causes a higher susceptibility to metabolic disorders, such as ketosis, abomasal displacements or uterine inflammations1. Especially the occurrence of ketosis has high economical impacts and can produce costs of around $289 per case2. Ketosis occurs if the energy requirements exceed the daily energy consumption. As a cause, the organism of the cow starts to mobilize fat reserves. This natural process is used to obtain additional energy in the liver. At high rates of body fat-mobilization, not all mobilized fatty acids can be used in the energy metabolism due to limited availability of oxaloacetate. As a result, ketone bodies will accumulate if energy deficits exist over a longer period. High accumulation rates will lead to liver stress or even damage the liver and increase the risk of secondary diseases like abomasal displacements or uterine inflammations1. A drop in the milk yield already becomes apparent in the early stages of ketosis1! To compensate metabolic disorders, a high management focus is set on the beginning of lactation. A well-known measure to reduce an energy deficit after calving is the administration of additional energy sources, such as propylene glycol or glycerin. In addition, improving the palatability of the daily ration helps to increase feed intake. High dry matter intakes show a positive effect on energy balance, metabolic health, and lactation performance3. However, these measures are mainly intended on controlling the symptoms of the metabolic disorder. The question therefore remains whether the focus shouldn’t rather be on optimizing the management of the transition period. BENEFITTING THE WELFARE The transition period covers a period of 3 weeks pre-birth and 3 weeks post-birth. Since the feed intake decreases considerably at the end of gestation, a negative energy balance often develops already before parturition. This also implies the formation of NEFA’s4. As a conclusion the consideration should be made to set the focus of management prior to the onset of lactation. Miriam Deppe Product Manager Ruminants - Dietary Feed Supplements Biochem Zusatzstoffe Handels- und Produktionsgesellschaft mbH
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