Until recently, occurrence of milk fever (MF) has been attributed to prepartum calcium intake. However, researchers in Iowa have concluded that high prepartum dietary potassium (K) is the major cause of MF. Potassium concentrations have been increasing on manure fertilized soils over the last 20 years. Grasses grown on these fields mirror the increase in available soil K. When high K forages are fed to dry cows, it has been associated with increased MF in some, but not all cases. Our objective was to identify factors that differed between low and high occurrence of disorders when high K forages were fed. For 1 yr, monthly interviews were conducted on 10 dairies in Western Oregon. Close-up rations, dystocia rating, crowding, and cow comfort data were collected. Cows were diagnosed healthy or having one or more of the following metabolic diseases: MF, retained fetal membranes (RFM), and left displacement of the abomasum (LDA). Feedstuffs were collected each month and analyzed for dry matter, crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and macrominerals. Of the multiparous cows (n=3,587) included, incidences of MF, RFM and LDA were 3.6, 11.3, and 1.5%, respectively. Increasing MF occurrence was associated with uncomfortable conditions, dystocia, increasing prepartum dietary Na and ADF, and increasing Ca to P ratios; there was also a dietary K by Mg concentration interaction. Increased dietary concentrations of Mg can prevent MF if dietary K is <2.6%. In addition, dietary conditions of K >2.6% and Mg >0.4% increase the occurrence of MF. Inversely, high concentrations of K can prevent MF in a Mg deficient diet. Dietary factors associated with an increase in the occurrence of RFM are increased dietary concentrations of Ca, S, CP, use of anionic salts, and the K forage source. Factors associated with an increase in hypocalcemia in the postpartum cow are crowding, uncomfortable housing, and a dietary K by Mg concentration interaction. In conclusion, improved cow comfort, and the addition of Mg to high K forage diets could decrease the risk of the cow exhibiting MF, RFM, and hypocalcemia. / Graduation date: 1999

No description available.

Glucocorticoids are commonly used to treat cows with clinical ketosis and fatty liver disease. This study investigated the effects of 10 mg/mL of FlucortRTM and PredefRTM 2X on the day of calving on blood metabolites, immune function and milk composition on 30 transitional Holstein cows. Sample of blood and milk were analyzed for energy metabolites (glucose, NEFA, BHB and insulin), mineral metabolites (Ca, P, Na, K, Cl and Mg), energy function parameters (antibody, lymphocyte), milk compositional parameters (protein, fat, lactose, SCC). There were no differences in glucose, Na, Cl, Mg, antibody, lymphocyte and milk fat, were observed among treatments. FlucortRTM treated cows had significantly lower NEFA on D1, higher BHB on D21 and D28, lower insulin on D14, higher Ca on D1 and lower P on D1. PredefRTM 2X treated cows had significantly higher BHB on D21, higher insulin on D7, lower Ca on D1, higher SCC on D1 and higher milk protein on D1. With respect to the significant data in this study, the use of glucocorticoids FlucortRTM and Predef RTM 2X in a single intramuscular injection on d1 for the treatment of ketosis is not warranted.

Extensive emphasis on selection for milk yield with minimal attention to the animals' functional performance has increased the yield of North American dairy cattle. The high intensity of selection for production traits such as milk yield, protein yield and fat yield has also brought about a rapid increase in genetic relationships among animals. In dairy cattle, correlated response to selection for milk yield includes fertility and susceptibility to diseases. Although the high producing cows have greater net profit, they also have higher mammary and discarded milk costs associated with high production. Long-term genetic selection against clinically diagnosed diseases might be useful to diminish their incidence. The Scandinavian countries have incorporated the health traits into their selection indices. Canadian breeding programs realize the need to consider traits other than the yield in selection decisions. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic variability of various clinically diagnosed health traits. Data from 171 herds of the Ontario milk-recording program were used. These herds are collaborating with the University of Guelph (Dr. David Kelton) to record health traits. A major impediment to estimating heritabilities for the majority of the disorders was that the progeny group size per sire was not large enough to enable detecting a significant difference among sires. Hence, heritability estimates were not obtained for all the health disorders included in the study. The progeny group size per sire has to be increased such that there are at least 5 cases per progeny group to enable detecting a difference among sires. Heritability estimates for retained placenta and displaced abomasum in the first lactation were 0.067 and 0.212 respectively. The heritability estimate of cystic ovaries in the second lactation was 0.092. In the third lactation, the heritability estimate of mastitis was 0.10 whereas retained placenta had a heritability of 0.25.

No description available.