Effects of folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation on culling rate, diseases, and reproduction in commercial dairy herds

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine the effect of a combined folic acid and vitamin B12 supplement given in early lactation on culling rate, metabolic disorders and other diseases, and reproduction in commercial dairy herds. A total of 805 cows (271 primiparous and 534 multiparous cows) in 15 commercial dairy herds were involved. Every 2mo from February to December 2010 and within each herd, cows were assigned according to parity, previous 305-d milk production, and calving interval to 5mL of either (1) saline 0.9% NaCl (control group) or (2) 320mg of folic acid + 10mg of vitamin B12 (vitamin group). Treatments were administered weekly by intramuscular injections starting 3wk before the expected calving date until 8wk after parturition. A total of 221 cows were culled before the next dry period. Culling rate was not affected by treatment and was 27.5%; culling rate was greater for multiparous (32.2%) than for primiparous cows (18.8%). Within the first 60d in milk (DIM), 47 cows were culled, representing 21.3% of total culling, and no treatment effect was noted. Ketosis incidence based on a threshold ≥100µmol/L of β-hydroxybutyrate in milk was 38.3±2.9% for the vitamin group and 41.8±3.0% for the control group and was not affected by treatment. The combined supplement of folic acid and vitamin B12 did not decrease incidence of retained placenta, displaced abomasum, milk fever, metritis, or mastitis. However, the incidence of dystocia decreased by 50% in multiparous cows receiving the vitamin supplement, although no effect was observed in primiparous cows. The first breeding postpartum for multiparous cows occurred 3.8d earlier with the vitamin supplement compared with controls, whereas no treatment effect was seen for primiparous cows. Days open, first- and second-breeding conception rates, number of breedings per conception, and percentage of cows pregnant at 150 DIM were not affected by treatment. The reduced percentage of dystocia combined with the earlier DIM at first breeding for multiparous cows receiving the combined supplementation in folic acid and vitamin B12 indicates that the vitamin supplement had a positive effect in older cows.

Consequences of supplying methyl donors during pregnancy on the methylome of the offspring from lactating and non-lactating dairy cattle

“…On the other hand, folic acid is part of coenzymes that participate in the transfer of one-carbon unit in several biochemical pathways. Milk production during the first 200 d of lactation was increased linearly in multiparous, but not in primiparous cows fed a diet that provided 0, 2, or 4 mg of folate/kg of body weight [ 25 ], and an intramuscular administration of folic acid (320 mg/week) and vitamin B 12 (10 mg/week) about 1 month before and 2 months after calving reduced time to first breeding [ 26 ]. Gagnon et al .…”

Effect of rumen-protected B vitamins and choline supplementation on health, production, and reproduction in transition dairy cows

“…Providing supplemental folic acid and vitamin B 12 by weekly injections increased milk production by 12% (Preynat et al, 2009a,b). However, in a field study of 805 cows in 15 herds (Duplessis et al, 2014a), weekly injections of folate and vitamin B 12 through the transition period generally did not affect health outcomes or milk yield, although milk protein percentage was increased (Duplessis et al, 2014b).…”

Rumen-protected B vitamin complex supplementation during the transition period and early lactation alters endometrium mRNA expression on day 14 of gestation in lactating dairy cows

“…However, in the recent past, numerous studies have shown an increase in milk production or component yield (or both) when cows are supplemented with vitamin B compounds (Sacadura et al, 2008;Chen et al, 2011;Evans and Mair, 2013). Similarly, a positive effect of supplementation on health has also been reported, especially in early lactation dairy cows (Graulet et al, 2007;Duplessis et al, 2014;Li et al, 2016), which is achieved via improvement in metabolic efficacy. Based on results reported by Santschi et al (2005), Schwab et al (2006), and Sacadura et al (2008), a deficit for folic acid, pantothenic acid, and pyridoxine was estimated in cows, which indicates that the requirements for B vitamins could have changed in modern dairy cows.…”