Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-wq484 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T12:53:43.587Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Relationship between incidence of milk fever and feeding of minerals during the last 3 weeks of gestation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

C. Kronqvist ,
U. Emanuelson ,
M. Tråvén ,
R. Spörndly  and
K. Holtenius
C. Kronqvist*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Kungsängen Research Centre, SE-753 23 Uppsala, Sweden
U. Emanuelson
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7054, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
M. Tråvén
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7054, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
R. Spörndly
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Kungsängen Research Centre, SE-753 23 Uppsala, Sweden
K. Holtenius
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Kungsängen Research Centre, SE-753 23 Uppsala, Sweden
*
†E-mail: Cecilia.Kronqvist@slu.se
Get access

Abstract

This study evaluated whether differences in milk fever incidence among Swedish dairy herds could be explained partly by differences in mineral feeding during the last weeks of gestation. A case–control study was performed on dietary risk factors for a high incidence of milk fever at the herd level using information regarding feeding and management of the dry cows collected in a written questionnaire distributed by post in spring 2008. The study was conducted from September 2004 to August 2007. Data on the diets fed to dry cows, with an emphasis on the amounts of minerals (Ca, P, Mg and K) fed 3 weeks before calving and at calving, were obtained from 30 herds belonging to the 100 Swedish herds with the highest recorded incidence of veterinary treatment for milk fever (>8.8%) and from 22 herds with no recorded milk fever treatments. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that a linear increase in the total amount of K and less than 26 g of Mg/day fed to dry cows 3 weeks before calving was associated with an increased risk of high milk fever incidence. A large increase in the amount of dry matter (DM) fed (>3.1 kg DM extra per day at calving compared with 3 weeks before calving) was associated with a higher incidence of milk fever, but no differences were found for Ca or P intake. Breed composition, herd average milk yield and age composition of the herd did not explain any of the observed differences between the case and the control herds. The results indicate that differences in the frequency of milk fever among herds can be associated with differences in mineral feeding of the dry cows. A high amount of K in the diet may increase the risk of milk fever linearly, whereas Mg should probably be fed at a higher level than the current Nordic recommendation to prevent milk fever.

Keywords

magnesiumcalciumpotassiumcowhypocalcaemia
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 6 , Issue 8 , August 2012 , pp. 1316 - 1321
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

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.)

References

Correa, MT, Curtis, CR, Erb, HM, Scarlett, CM, Smith, RD 1990. An ecological analysis of risk factors for postpartum disorders of Holstein–Friesian cows from thirty-two New York farms. Journal of Dairy Science 73, 1515–1524.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Curtis, CR, Erb, HN, Sniffen, CJ, Smith, RD 1984. Epidemiology of parturient paresis: predisposing factors with emphasis on dry cow feeding and management. Journal of Dairy Science 67, 817–825.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Curtis, CR, Erb, HN, Sniffen, CJ, Smith, RD, Kronfeld, DS 1985. Path analysis of dry period nutrition, postpartum metabolic and reproductive disorders, and mastitis in Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 68, 2347–2360.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Emery, RS, Hafs, HD, Armstrong, D, Snyder, WW 1969. Prepartum grain feeding effects on milk production, mammary edema, and incidence of diseases. Journal of Dairy Science 52, 345–351.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goff, JP 2008. The monitoring, prevention, and treatment of milk fever and subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows. The Veterinary Journal 176, 50–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goff, JP, Horst, RL 1997. Effects of the addition of potassium or sodium, but not calcium, to prepartum rations ratios on milk fever in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 80, 176–186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goings, RL, Jacobson, NL, Beitz, DC, Littledike, ET, Wiggers, KD 1974. Prevention of parturient paresis by a prepartum, calcium-deficient diet. Journal of Dairy Science 57, 1184–1188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gröhn, YT, Eicker, SW, Hertl, JA 1995. The association between previous 305-day milk yield and disease in New York state dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 78, 1693–1702.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hansen, SS, Nørgaard, P, Pedersen, C, Jørgensen, RJ, Mellau, LSB, Enemark, JD 2003. The effect of subclinical hypocalcemia induced by Na2EDTA on the feed intake and chewing activity of dairy cows. Veterinary Research Communications 27, 193–205.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hansen, SS, Ersbøll, AK, Blom, JY, Jørgensen, RJ 2007. Preventive strategies and risk factors for milk fever in Danish dairy herds: a questionnaire survey. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 80, 271–286.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hardeng, F, Edge, VL 2001. Mastitis, ketosis, and milk fever in 31 organic and 93 conventional Norwegian dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science 84, 2673–2679.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hossein-Zadeh, NG, Ardalan, M 2011. Bayesian estimates of genetic parameters for metritis, retained placenta, milk fever, and clinical mastitis in Holstein dairy cows via Gibbs sampling. Journal of Dairy Science 90, 146–149.Google ScholarPubMed
Houe, H, Østergaard, S, Thilsing-Hansen, T, Jørgensen, RJ, Larsen, T, Sørensen, JT, Agger, JF, Blom, JY 2001. Milk fever and subclinical hypocalcemia – an evaluation of parameters on incidence risk, diagnosis, risk factors and biological effects as input for a decision support system for disease control. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 42, 1–29.Google ScholarPubMed
Kamiya, Y, Kamiya, M, Tanaka, M, Shioya, S 2005. Effects of calcium intake and parity on plasma minerals and bone turnover around parturition. Animal Science Journal 76, 325–330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kronqvist, C, Emanuelson, U, Spörndly, R, Holtenius, K 2011. Effects of prepartum dietary calcium level on calcium and magnesium metabolism in periparturient dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 1365–1373.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kurosaki, N, Yamato, O, Mori, F, Imoto, S, Maede, Y 2007. Preventive effect of mildly altering dietary cation–anion difference on milk fever in dairy cows. The Journal of Veterinary Medical Science 69, 185–192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lean, IJ, DeGaris, PJ, McNeil, DM, Block, E 2006. Hypocalcemia in dairy cows: meta analysis and dietary cation anion difference theory revisited. Journal of Dairy Science 89, 669–684.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mörk, M, Lindberg, A, Alenius, S, Vågsholm, I, Egenvall, A 2009. Comparison between dairy cow disease incidence in data registered by farmers and in data from a disease-recording system based on veterinary reporting. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 88, 298–307.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nielsen, NI, Volden, H 2011. Animal requirements and recommendations. In Norfor – the Nordic feed evaluation system. EAAP publication no. 130 (ed. H Volden), pp. 105–106. Wageningen Academic Publishers, the Netherlands.Google Scholar
NRC 2001. Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle, 7th revised edition. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Oetzel, GR 1991. Meta-analysis of nutritional risk factors for milk fever in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 3900–3912.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pehrson, B, Svensson, C, Gruvaeus, I, Virkki, M 1999. The influence of acidic diets on the acid–base balance of dry cows and the effect of fertilization on the mineral content of grass. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 1310–1316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rajala-Schultz, PJ, Gröhn, YT, McCulloch, CE 1999. Effects of milk fever, ketosis, and lameness on milk yield in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 288–294.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ramos-Nieves, JM, Thering, BJ, Waldron, MR, Jardon, PW, Overton, TR 2009. Effects of anion supplementation to low-potassium prepartum diets on macromineral status and performance of periparturient dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 5677–5691.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reddy, CR, Coburn, JW, Hartenbower, DL, Friedler, RM, Brickman, AS, Massry, SG, Jowsey, J 1973. Studies on mechanisms of hypocalcemia of magnesium depletion. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 52, 3000–3010.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reinhardt, TA, Lippolis, JD, McCluskey, BJ, Goff, JP, Horst, RL 2011. Prevalence of subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy herds. The Veterinary Journal 188, 122–124.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rérat, M, Philipp, A, Hess, HD, Liesegang, A 2009. Effect of different potassium levels in hay on acid–base status and mineral balance in periparturient dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 6123–6133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shappell, NW, Herbein, JH, Deftos, LJ, Airello, RJ 1987. Effects of dietary calcium and age on parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and serum and milk minerals in the periparturient dairy cow. The Journal of Nutrition 117, 201–207.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spörndly, R 2003. Fodertabeller för idisslare. Report 257, Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden (in Swedish).Google Scholar
Suh, SM, Tashjian, AH, Matsuo, N, Parkinson, DK, Fraser, D 1973. Pathogenesis of hypocalcemia in primary hypomagnesemia: normal end-organ responsiveness to parathyroid hormone, impaired parathyroid gland function. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 52, 153–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swedish Dairy Association 2010. Cattle statistics 2010. Stockholm, Sweden.Google Scholar
Thilsing-Hansen, T, Jørgensen, RJ, Østergaard, S 2002. Milk fever control principles: a review. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 43, 1–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van de Braak, AE, Van't Klooster, TH, Malestein, A 1987. Influence of a deficient supply of magnesium during the dry period on the rate of calcium mobilization by dairy cows at parturition. Research in Veterinary Science 42, 101–108.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiss, WP 2004. Macromineral digestion by lactating dairy cows: factors affecting digestibility of magnesium. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 2167–2171.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed