|
|
||||||||
Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706
Corresponding author:
R. R. Grummer; e-mail:
rgrummer{at}wisc.edu.
Forty cows and twenty heifers were used to study the effects of dietary energy density during late gestation and early lactation on lactation performance and ruminal parameters. A 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used. During prepartum (-28 d to calving), animals were fed a low energy density diet [DL; 1.58 Mcal of net energy for lactation (NEL)/kg, 40% neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and 38% nonfiber carbohydrate (NFC)] or a high energy diet (DH; 1.70 Mcal NEL /kg, 32% NDF and 44% NFC). After calving, half of the cows from each prepartum treatment group were assigned to a low energy density diet (L; 1.57 Mcal NEL /kg, 30% NDF and 41% NFC) or a high energy density diet (H; 1.63 Mcal NEL /kg, 25% NDF and 47% NFC) until d 20 postpartum. After d 20, all cows were fed H until d 70. Animals fed DH had 19.8% greater dry matter intake (DMI; % of body weight) and 21.5% greater energy intake than animals fed DL prepartum and the response was greater for cows compared to heifers. Animals fed DH had lower ruminal pH compared to animals fed DL, but no major changes in volatile fatty acid concentrations were observed. Effects of dietary energy density during prepartum on postpartum production responses were dependent on parity. Primiparous cows fed DL had higher 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield and milk fat production and percentage during the first 10 wk of lactation than those fed DH. Prepartum diet did not affect lactation performance of multiparous cows. Cows fed H had higher DMI and energy intake for the first 20 d of lactation compared to cows fed L. Diets did not affect DMI after the third wk of lactation. Milk production increased faster for cows fed H compared to cows fed L. Animals fed DL-L sequence of treatments tended to have the lowest energy intake during the first 10 wk of lactation. Prepartum treatments did not affect ruminal fermentation characteristics postpartum. Cows fed H had lower ruminal pH and higher propionate concentrations than cows fed L. No prepartum x postpartum interactions were observed for ruminal fermentation parameters. The effects of DH on prepartum DMI did not carry over to the postpartum period or influence early postpartum production. Increasing concentrate content of the diet immediately postpartum instead of delaying the increase until d 21 postpartum is associated with a higher rate of increase in milk production and higher DMI.
Key Words: dairy cattle transition energy density lactation performance
Abbreviation key: AC = acetate, ADICP = acid detergent insoluble crude protein, DL = low energy density prepartum, DH = high energy density prepartum, EB = energy balance, EE = ether extract, H = high energy density postpartum, L = low energy density postpartum, NDICP = neutral detergent insoluble crude protein, NEB = negative energy balance, NEI = net energy intake, NEM = net energy for maintenance, NEP = net energy for pregnancy, PROP = propionate
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
K. L. Smith, M. R. Waldron, L. C. Ruzzi, J. K. Drackley, M. T. Socha, and T. R. Overton Metabolism of Dairy Cows as Affected by Prepartum Dietary Carbohydrate Source and Supplementation with Chromium Throughout the Periparturient Period J Dairy Sci, May 1, 2008; 91(5): 2011 - 2020. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. Guo, R. R. Peters, and R. A. Kohn Effect of a Transition Diet on Production Performance and Metabolism in Periparturient Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2007; 90(11): 5247 - 5258. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. J. Loor, H. M. Dann, N. A. J. Guretzky, R. E. Everts, R. Oliveira, C. A. Green, N. B. Litherland, S. L. Rodriguez-Zas, H. A. Lewin, and J. K. Drackley Plane of nutrition prepartum alters hepatic gene expression and function in dairy cows as assessed by longitudinal transcript and metabolic profiling Physiol Genomics, January 12, 2007; 27(1): 29 - 41. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
G. B. Penner, K. A. Beauchemin, and T. Mutsvangwa Severity of Ruminal Acidosis in Primiparous Holstein Cows During the Periparturient Period J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2007; 90(1): 365 - 375. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
H. M. Dann, N. B. Litherland, J. P. Underwood, M. Bionaz, A. D'Angelo, J. W. McFadden, and J. K. Drackley Diets during far-off and close-up dry periods affect periparturient metabolism and lactation in multiparous cows. J Dairy Sci, September 1, 2006; 89(9): 3563 - 3577. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. H. Urdaz, M. W. Overton, D. A. Moore, and J. E. P. Santos Technical note: Effects of adding shade and fans to a feedbunk sprinkler system for preparturient cows on health and performance. J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2006; 89(6): 2000 - 2006. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. Rabelo, R. L. Rezende, S. J. Bertics, and R. R. Grummer Effects of Pre- and Postfresh Transition Diets Varying in Dietary Energy Density on Metabolic Status of Periparturient Dairy Cows J Dairy Sci, December 1, 2005; 88(12): 4375 - 4383. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. L. Smith, M. R. Waldron, J. K. Drackley, M. T. Socha, and T. R. Overton Performance of Dairy Cows as Affected by Prepartum Dietary Carbohydrate Source and Supplementation with Chromium Throughout the Transition Period J Dairy Sci, January 1, 2005; 88(1): 255 - 263. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. R. Overton and M. R. Waldron Nutritional Management of Transition Dairy Cows: Strategies to Optimize Metabolic Health J Dairy Sci, July 1, 2004; 87(13_suppl): E105 - 119. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |