Effect of Parity, Body Condition Score at Calving, and Milk Yield on the Metabolic Profile of Gyr Cows in the Transition Period

• Published in: Animals (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 15; p. 2509
• Main Authors: Breda, José Carlos dos Santos, Facury Filho, Elias Jorge, Flaiban, Karina Keller da Costa, Lisboa, Julio Augusto Naylor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 03.08.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: 3-hydroxybutyric acid; albumins; Animal lactation; Animals; aspartate transaminase; blood; body condition; calcium; cholesterol; Comparative analysis; Dairy cattle; dairy cow; early lactation; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Fatty acids; gamma-glutamyltransferase; glucose; Goats; Hypocalcemia; Ketosis; Laboratories; magnesium; metabolic disorders; Metabolism; Metabolites; milk; Milk production; milk yield; parturition; phosphorus; Physiological aspects; pregnancy; protein content; Reagents; Taurine; transition period; Zebu; Brazil; United Kingdom > UK; metabolic disorders; transition period; dairy cow; Zebu
• ISSN: 2076-2615; 2076-2615
• DOI: 10.3390/ani13152509

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of parity, body condition score (BCS) at calving, and milk yield on the metabolic profile of Gyr (Zebu) cows. Healthy cows in late pregnancy were grouped according to parity (primiparous, biparous, and multiparous); to BCS scale at calving (high—HBCS and normal—NBCS); and to milk yield (high—HP and moderate—MP production). BCS was assessed, and blood samples were collected on −21, −7, 0, 7, 21, and 42 days relative to parturition. The concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), cholesterol, glucose, total protein (TP), albumin, total calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and magnesium (Mg); and activities of aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase were measured. Data were analyzed by two-way repeated measures ANOVA. The frequencies of high lipomobilization, subclinical ketosis, subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH), and the occurrence of diseases during early lactation were established. Regardless of grouping, NEFA, BHB, and cholesterol increased during early lactation; glucose showed higher values at calving; TP and albumin were higher at 21 and 42 DIM; and Ca, P, and Mg were lower at calving. Parity had little effect on the metabolic profile, HBCS did not differ from NBCS cows, and HP did not differ from MP cows in most metabolites. High lipomobilization in early lactation and SCH at calving were the most common imbalances but were not related to postpartum diseases. High-yielding Gyr cows have a balanced metabolic profile during the transition period, with few biologically relevant effects of parity, BCS at parturition, or milk yielded.