Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T13:29:09.723Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of continuous milking during a field trial on productivity, milk protein yield and health in dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 June 2014

M. Köpf ,
K. Gellrich ,
H. Küchenhoff ,
H. H. D. Meyer  and
H. Kliem
M. Köpf
Affiliation:
Physiology Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, 85354 Freising, Germany ZIEL – Research Center for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 1, 85354 Freising, Germany
K. Gellrich
Affiliation:
Physiology Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, 85354 Freising, Germany ZIEL – Research Center for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 1, 85354 Freising, Germany
H. Küchenhoff
Affiliation:
Statistisches Beratungslabor, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany
H. H. D. Meyer
Affiliation:
Physiology Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, 85354 Freising, Germany ZIEL – Research Center for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 1, 85354 Freising, Germany
H. Kliem*
Affiliation:
Physiology Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 3, 85354 Freising, Germany ZIEL – Research Center for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephaner Berg 1, 85354 Freising, Germany
*
†E-mail: heike.kliem@wzw.tum.de
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this field study with an automatic milking system was to evaluate the effects of omitting the dry period on health and productivity during the subsequent lactation in dairy cows. A total of 98 German Simmental cows of six Southern German farms were assigned randomly to two experimental groups: The first group was dried-off 56 days before calving (D for dried-off, n=49), and the second group was milked continuously during this period until calving (CM for continuous milking, n=49). From the latter a third group emerged, including cows that dried-off themselves spontaneously (DS for dried-off spontaneously, n=14). Blood serum values of glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and IGF-1 showed most pronounced fluctuations in D cows. Over the entire study period, the concentrations of BHBA and NEFA were markedly lower in the CM and DS groups. Furthermore, IGF-1 concentration was lowest for D cows and also decrease in back fat thickness was more pronounced. Mean concentration of milk protein was markedly higher in CM and DS cows (3.70% and 3.71%) compared with D cows (3.38%). Owing to the lower 305-day milk yield (−15.6%) and the lower total milk yield (−3.1%), the total amount of produced protein in the subsequent lactation was 2.5% (6.8 kg) lower, although the additional protein amount in CM cows from week −8 to calving was 35.7 kg. The greatest benefit resulted from positive effects on fertility and the lower incidence of diseases: CM cows had their first oestrus 1 week earlier compared with D cows, they also conceived earlier and showed a significantly lower risk of developing hypocalcaemia, ketosis and puerperal disorders. The present study showed that the costs of medical treatment and milk losses were twice as high in D cows, compared with CM and DS cows, and thus the reduced costs because of the more stable health outweighed the financial losses of milk yield by +18.49 € per cow and lactation.

Keywords

continuous milkinghealthfinancial benefitdairy cow
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 8 , Issue 7 , July 2014 , pp. 1130 - 1138
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

#

Prof. Heinrich H. D. Meyer, who supervised this research, passed away before publication of this work.

References

Andersen, JB, Madsen, TG, Larsen, T, Ingvartsen, KL and Nielsen, MO 2005. The effects of dry period versus continuous lactation on metabolic status and performance in periparturient cows. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 3530–3541.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andersson, L 1988. Subclinical ketosis in dairy cows. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 4, 233–251.Google Scholar
Bates, D, Maechler, M and Bolker, B 2012. lme4: Linear mixed-effects models using S4 classes. Retrieved 18 August 2013, from http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=lme4 Google Scholar
Beever, DE, Rook, AJ, France, J, Dhanoa, MS and Gill, M 1991. A review of empirical and mechanistic models of lactational perfomance by the dairy-cow. Livestock Production Science 29, 115–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowden, DM 1971. Non esterified fatty acids and ketone bodies in blood as indicators of nutritional status in ruminant: a review. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 51, 1–13.Google Scholar
Breves, G 2007. Züchtung und Stoffwechselstabilität beim Rind – Empfehlungen für die Zucht und Haltung. Züchtungskunde 79, 52–58.Google Scholar
Butler, WR 2010. Fertility of lactating cows in relation the physiology of the transition period. Large Animal Review 16, 305–308.Google Scholar
Butler, WR and Smith, RD 1989. Interrelationships between energy balance and postpartum reproductive function in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 72, 767–783.Google Scholar
Cerbulis, J and Farrell, HM Jr 1975. Composition of milks of dairy cattle. I. Protein, lactose, and fat contents and distribution of protein fraction. Journal of Dairy Science 58, 817–827.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chapinal, N, Carson, M, Duffield, TF, Capel, M, Godden, S, Overton, M, Santos, JE and LeBlanc, SJ 2011. The association of serum metabolites with clinical disease during the transition period. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 4897–4903.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chapinal, N, Carson, ME, LeBlanc, SJ, Leslie, KE, Godden, S, Capel, M, Santos, JE, Overton, MW and Duffield, TF 2012. The association of serum metabolites in the transition period with milk production and early-lactation reproductive performance. Journal of Dairy Science 95, 1301–1309.Google Scholar
Contreras, PA 1998. Fat mobilisation syndrome in early lactation and its effect on health and performance in dairy cows. Archivos de Medicina Veterinaria 30, 17–27.Google Scholar
Duffield, TF, Lissemore, KD, McBride, BW and Leslie, KE 2009. Impact of hyperketonemia in early lactation dairy cows on health and production. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 571–580.Google Scholar
Fitzgerald, AC, Annen-Dawson, EL, Baumgard, LH and Collier, RJ 2007. Evaluation of continuous lactation and increased milking frequency on milk production and mammary cell turnover in primiparous Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 5483–5489.Google Scholar
Fleischer, P, Metzner, M, Beyerbach, M, Hoedemaker, M and Klee, W 2001. The relationship between milk yield and the incidence of some diseases in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 84, 2025–2035.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, CJ, Hammerman, PS and Thompson, CB 2005. Fuel feeds function: energy metabolism and the T-cell response. Nature Reviews Immunology 5, 844–852.Google Scholar
Fronk, TJ, Schultz, LH and Hardie, AR 1980. Effect of dry period overconditioning on subsequent metabolic disorders and performance of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 63, 1080–1090.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gong, JG 2002. Influence of metabolic hormones and nutrition on ovarian follicle development in cattle: practical implications. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 23, 229–241.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grummer, RR 1995. Impact of changes in organic nutrient metabolism on feeding the transition dairy cow. Journal of Animal Science 73, 2820–2833.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gulay, MS, Hayen, MJ, Head, HH, Wilcox, CJ and Bachman, KC 2005. Milk production from Holstein half udders after concurrent thirty- and seventy-day dry periods. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 3953–3962.Google Scholar
Haug, A, Hostmark, AT and Harstad, OM 2007. Bovine milk in human nutrition – a review. Lipids in Health and Disease 6, 25.Google Scholar
Herdt, TH 1988. Fatty liver in dairy cows. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 4, 269–287.Google Scholar
Ingvartsen, KL, Dewhurst, RJ and Friggens, NC 2003. On the relationship between lactational performance and health: is it yield or metabolic imbalance that cause production diseases in dairy cattle? A position paper. Livestock Production Science 83, 277–308.Google Scholar
Kirchgessner, M 1987. Tierernährung. Leitfaden für Studium, Beratung und Praxis. DLG-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.Google Scholar
Klein, MS, Almstetter, MF, Schlamberger, G, Nurnberger, N, Dettmer, K, Oefner, PJ, Meyer, HH, Wiedemann, S and Gronwald, W 2010. Nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry-based milk metabolomics in dairy cows during early and late lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 93, 1539–1550.Google Scholar
Kliem, H, Rodler, D, Ulbrich, SE, Sinowatz, F, Berisha, B, Meyer, HH and Schams, D 2013. Dexamethasone-induced eosinopenia is associated with lower progesterone production in cattle. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 48, 137–148.Google Scholar
LeBlanc, S 2010. Monitoring metabolic health of dairy cattle in the transition period. Journal of Reproduction and Development 56 (Suppl), S29–S35.Google Scholar
Lee, VA and Lorenz, K 1978. The nutritional and physiological impact of milk in human nutrition. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 11, 41–116.Google Scholar
Madsen, TG, Nielsen, MO, Andersen, JB and Ingvartsen, KL 2008. Continuous lactation in dairy cows: effect on milk production and mammary nutrient supply and extraction. Journal of Dairy Science 91, 1791–1801.Google Scholar
Mallard, BA, Dekkers, JC, Ireland, MJ, Leslie, KE, Sharif, S, Vankampen, CL, Wagter, L and Wilkie, BN 1998. Alteration in immune responsiveness during the peripartum period and its ramification on dairy cow and calf health. Journal of Dairy Science 81, 585–595.Google Scholar
Rastani, RR, Grummer, RR, Bertics, SJ, Gumen, A, Wiltbank, MC, Mashek, DG and Schwab, MC 2005. Reducing dry period length to simplify feeding transition cows: milk production, energy balance, and metabolic profiles. Journal of Dairy Science 88, 1004–1014.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Remond, B and Bonnefoy, JC 1997. Performance of a herd of Holstein cows managed without the dry period. Annales de Zootechnie 46, 3–12.Google Scholar
Remond, B, Ollier, A and Miranda, G 1992. Milking of cows in late pregnancy: milk production during this period and during the succeeding lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 59, 233–241.Google Scholar
Remond, B, Kerouanton, J and Brocard, V 1997a. The effect of reducing or omitting the dry period on the performance of dairy cows. Productions Animales 10, 301–315.Google Scholar
Remond, B, Rouel, J, Pinson, N and Jabet, S 1997b. An attempt to omit the dry periods over three consecutive lactations in dairy cows. Annales de Zootechnie 46, 399–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schlamberger, G, Wiedemann, S, Viturro, E, Meyer, HH and Kaske, M 2010. Effects of continuous milking during the dry period or once daily milking in the first 4 weeks of lactation on metabolism and productivity of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 93, 2471–2485.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schröder, UJ 2000. Untersuchungen zur Konditionsbeurteilung mittels ultrasonografischer Messung der Rückenfettdicke als Grundlage zur Anwendung in der Bestandsbetreuung von Milchviehherden. Dissertation, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.Google Scholar
Seifi, HA, LeBlanc, SJ, Leslie, KE and Duffield, TF 2011. Metabolic predictors of post-partum disease and culling risk in dairy cattle. Veterinary Journal 188, 216–220.Google Scholar
Staufenbiel, R, Staufenbiel, B, Rossow, N, Klukas, H and Johannsen, U 1993. Diagnosis of fatty liver in dairy cows. Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 100, 225–230.Google Scholar
Team, R Core 2012. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. Vienna, Austria.Google Scholar
Thissen, JP, Ketelslegers, JM and Underwood, LE 1994. Nutritional regulation of the insulin-like growth factors. Endocrine Reviews 15, 80–101.Google Scholar
Velazquez, MA, Spicer, LJ and Wathes, DC 2008. The role of endocrine insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1) in female bovine reproduction. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 35, 325–342.Google Scholar
Zulu, VC, Nakao, T and Sawamukai, Y 2002a. Insulin-like growth factor-I as a possible hormonal mediator of nutritional regulation of reproduction in cattle. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 64, 657–665.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zulu, VC, Sawamukai, Y, Nakada, K, Kida, K and Moriyoshi, M 2002b. Relationship among insulin-like growth factor-I, blood metabolites and postpartum ovarian function in dairy cows. Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 64, 879–885.Google Scholar