Milk production during the colostral period is not related to the later lactational performance in dairy cows

Abstract

In dairy cows, milk yield increases rapidly after parturition until a peak at around wk 6 of lactation. However, the description of the shape of the lactation curve is commonly based on weekly average milk yields. For a more detailed analysis of the milk production curve from the very beginning of lactation including the colostral period and the effect of colostrum yield on further lactational performance, the first 10 milkings after parturition, daily milk yields from d 1 to 28 of lactation, and the cumulative milk production on d 100 to 305 of lactation were investigated in 17 primiparous and 39 multiparous cows milked twice daily. Milk yield at the first milking after parturition (colostrum) ranged from 1.3 to 20.7 kg (Δ = 19.4 kg) in multiparous and from 1.8 to 10.9 kg in primiparous animals (Δ = 9.1 kg). At the tenth milking, milk production ranged from 9.2 to 21.5 kg (Δ = 12.3 kg) in multiparous and from 7.0 to 15.2 kg (Δ = 8.2 kg) in primiparous animals. Immediately after parturition, daily milk production increased rapidly, but after approximately 1 wk in lactation, the slope of the daily milk production curve flattened and continued more linear. A nonlinear regression equation was used to determine this timely change, which occurred earlier in primiparous (d 6.9 ± 0.3) than in multiparous cows (d 8.2 ± 0.2). The correlation between the amount of first colostrum and milk production during further lactation decreased already from 0.47 on d 5 to 0.32 on d 14. In multiparous cows, the correlation between total milk production of the previous 305 d standard lactation and the amount of first colostrum was not significant (correlation = 0.29), whereas the correlation with the daily production increased from 0.45 on d 5 to 0.69 on d 14. However, in primiparous animals, correlations between first-colostrum yield and daily milk yields up to d 28 of lactation were not significant, possibly due to the smaller sample size compared with multiparous animals. First-colostrum yield and cumulative milk production of 100, 200, and 305 lactation days were not significantly correlated in multiparous and primiparous cows. In conclusion, the milk production during the first few milkings is widely independent from the overall production level of a cow. Potentially, genetic selection toward lower milk yield during the very first days after parturition at a simultaneously high lactational performance may be a tool to ensure sufficient colostrum quality and to reduce the metabolic load around parturition.

Short communication: Immunoglobulin variation in quarter-milked colostrum

“…The latter explanation may account for necrotic damage to mammary epithelium and could also result in independent epigenetic control of separate quarters. However, necrotic damage would lead to less productive parenchymal tissue and our previous work suggested that colostrum production was not related to parenchymal tissue mass (Baumrucker et al, 2010); a new report (Kessler et al, 2014) indicates no relationship between colostrum volume and subsequent milk volume within an animal. We had limited quarter disease information for the cows described in the current research and our sample size was too limiting; thus, no conclusion could be reached.…”

“…A recent report by Kessler et al (2013) provides more evidence of the disconnect between mature milk secretion volume and colostrum volume. Furthermore, whereas concentration and mass of IgG 1 in first-milked colostrum are related (R 2 ~0.65; Baumrucker et al, 2010) within an animal, they can be significantly different.…”

Effects of supplementation of dietary antioxidants and chelated trace minerals in periparturient dairy cows and subsequent response to intramammary bacterial challenge

“…The results of our milk yield and composition variables were consistent with other published results (Chamberlin et al, 2013;Hart et al, 2014;Kessel et al, 2008;Kessler et al, 2014;Rastani et al, 2005;De Vries and Veerkamp, 2000). Even with no observed significant effects of addition of any type of supplements used in this study on milk yield, the inclusion of supplements seems to be increase milk production in PP cows.…”

Elevation of circulating serotonin improves calcium dynamics in the peripartum dairy cow

“…Dairy cows will produce anywhere from 1 to 20 kg of colostrum. Depending on parity, milk production will increase by approximately 10 kg in the first 5 days postpartum (Kessler et al 2014). With such a dramatic increase in milk production, enormous demands are exerted on body calcium reserves for transfer into milk.…”