Effects of calcium propionate by different numbers of applications in first week postpartum of dairy cows on hypocalcemia, milk production and reproductive disorders

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate effects of calcium propionate on hypocalcemia, dry matter intake, body condition score, milk production and reproductive disorders in dairy cows. Twenty four multiparous Holstein cows were sorted by parity, body condition score (BCS) in close-up period and season of calving and assigned to one of the three treatments. The cows in treatment 1 (T1) received two drenches at calving and 24h after calving. The cows in treatment 2 (T2) received three drenches at calving, 24h after calving and 7 days after calving. The cows in treatment 3 (T3) were the control. Each drench contained 143g of calcium as calcium propionate (0.68kg). Parameters studied were serum calcium, glucose and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations, dry matter intake (DMI), BCS, milk production (MP), incidence of retained placenta (RP) and metritis. Milk fever developed in 5 of 8 cows, in 3 of 8 cows and in 3 of 8 cows in T1, T2 and T3, respectively, at calving. There was no cow with milk fever in T1 and T2 at 4h after second drench (about 28h after calving) but 3 of 8 cows in T3 had still milk fever at this time. The cows receiving two drenches recovered from milk fever in a shorter term as compared to the cows in T3. There were no differences among treatments for DMI, BCS, MP, RP, serum glucose and NEFA concentrations during the experimental period. There was no difference for metritis between T1 and T3 but incidence of metritis in T2 was significantly lower as compared to T3 (P<0.05). Two drenches of calcium propionate were beneficial in treating milk fever and three drenches of calcium propionate were considered to have had a preventive effect for metritis

Blood Parameters of Lactating Cows Fed Calcium Salts as Energetic Source

“…This hypothesis is supported by the results obtained by these authors group [1], whereas glycemia had negative correlation (r = -0,39; P < 0.01) with milk solids not fat, and despite of non-significance with milk production (r = -0.17) even among animals with normal glycemic levels. Similar results were also reported by other authors in animals supplemented with calcium salts of fatty acids [14] and in animals supplemented with calcium propionate [11].…”

“…As propionate is produced by ruminal fermentation and is the principal source for gluconeogenesis in peri partum cows, it lowered level of BHBA in the propionate-supplemented group [24]. Propionate stimulates insulin secretion, and it suppress the non-steroidal fatty acids [11], moreover, it leads to a lowered transport of fatty acid to mitochondria [13].…”

“…Adjust the Ca 2+ flow due to high feed consumption and milk production near birth is a big challenge for milking cows due to the difficulties to maintain normal serial levels of Ca 2+ in the early lactation [17]. Stabilization of serum levels of Ca 2+ and preventing hypocalcemia was accomplished by supplementation with calcium propionate [7,11]. Some articles confirmed the increase of Ca 2+ serial levels [20], while other did not observe any changes in serum level [7].…”

Research on the Applications of Calcium Propionate in Dairy Cows: A Review

“…To prevent milk fever, calcium propionate is usually administered orally around the time of the calving of cows. Kara et al [67] found that giving cows two drenches (each drench contained 0.68 kg calcium propionate) at calving and 24 h after calving was beneficial in treating milk fever. In summary, calcium propionate can act as a source of calcium to prevent milk fever in dairy cows during the perinatal period.…”

Hipocalcemia Subclínica E Sua Relação Com a Imunidade Em Vacas Leiteiras: Uma Revisão

“…Guard (1996) estimou, em um mesmo rebanho, que as perdas anuais com a hipocalcemia subclínica foram cerca de quatro vezes maior do que a forma clínica, podendo apresentar uma prevalência de 20 a 54% (LEBLANC et al, 2006;REINHARDT et al,2011). Foi observado também que o risco de desenvolvimento de hipocalcemia aumenta em 9% com aumento da idade da vaca (LEAN; DEGARIS, 2010), podendo causar perdas de quase 2,9 kg leite/dia, até seis semanas pós-parto, sendo considerada uma doença economicamente importante (CHAPINAL et al, 2012 Outra consequência da hipocalcemia é a diminuição na ingestão de matéria seca, a qual leva a vários problemas metabólicos, como síndrome da vaca caída (BROZOS et al, 2011), retenção de placenta, prolapso do útero, deslocamento de abomaso (CHAPINAL et al, 2012), cetose (KARA et al, 2009) e redução no desempenho reprodutivo devido ao prolongamento do anestro pós-parto (MARTINEZ et al, 2012). Além disso, a hipocalcemia pode reduzir a capacidade das células do sistema imunológico em responder a estímulos, contribuindo para o desenvolvimento de infecções como a mastite e metrite (KIMURA et al, 2006;MARTINEZ et al, 2012).…”