Effect of different pre-calving feeding strategies on the metabolic status and lactation performance of dairy cows

Abstract

The objective of the study was to investigate the metabolic, health and production consequences of selected pre-calving feeding strategies. Forty Polish Holstein-Friesian multiparous dairy cows were dried off at day 56 before parturition and assigned to 2 pre-calving treatments: CON - a 5-week far-off period and a 3-week close-up period, and SHORT - a 7-week far-off period and a 1-week close-up period with a fresh transition diet. Shortening the close-up period had no effect on body condition score during the dry period; however, a tendency to the lowest body condition score (BCS) losses were observed in the SHORT group during the first 56 days of lactation (P = 0.13). Cows from the SHORT group tended to have higher glucose concentration 3 days before calving (P = 0.13). Shortening the close-up period resulted in a higher insulin level (P = 0.04) and lower concentration of β-hydroxybutyric acid in the blood 28 days after parturition (P = 0.03). Cows from the SHORT group were characterized by a higher concentration of triiodothyronine 3 days before calving (P = 0.03) and tended to have a higher level of thyroxine 5 days after parturition (P = 0.09). A tendency to higher yield of energy corrected milk (P = 0.09) and fat content in milk was observed in the SHORT group (P = 0.11). There were no differences between treatments in terms of reproductive performance. Simplification of the transition period management and shortening of the close-up period led to a positive tendency to increase the yield of energy corrected milk, with no negative effect on the metabolic status and reproductive performance of dairy cows.