Urbutis Mingaudas, Malašauskienė Dovilė, Televičius Mindaugas, Juozaitienė Vida, Baumgartner Walter, Antanaitis Ramūnas
Large Animal Clinic, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Animals (Basel). 2023 Aug 10;13(16):2576. doi: 10.3390/ani13162576.
With this study, we investigated the relationship between a cow's and calf's metabolic state, and its effect on health status. To achieve this, 20 calves of primiparous and 20 calves of multiparous cows were selected. The calves were monitored for 30 days and scored for signs of disease, as described in McQuirk (2008); according to score, they were divided into healthier calves; the Low calf score group (LCS, 5-8), Medium calf score group (MCS, 9-12) and High calf score group (HCS, 14-17); or calves most prone to disease. Their mothers were monitored for the same period with a Lely Astronaut 3 herd management system (Lely, Maassluis, The Netherlands) for rumination time, milk yield, milk fat, protein, lactose concentrations and milk fat to protein ratio. Both cows and calves were sampled for blood, and concentrations of glucose with β-hydroxybutyrate were registered. The results indicate that primiparous cows had a 16% higher blood glucose concentration (3.03 mmol/L SE = 0.093) compared with multiparous cows (2.61 mmol/L, SE = 0.102) ( < 0.01), but no difference in calf glucose was recorded. Β-hydroxybutyrate levels did not differ significantly between cows and calves by parity group. Rumination time was longest in the HCS group at 550.79 min/d. and was 16% longer compared with the LCS group (461.94 min/d.; < 0.001) and 8% longer compared with the MCS group (505.56 min/d.; < 0.001). The MCS group rumination time mean was statistically significantly higher compared with the LCS group by 8% ( < 0.001). Milk yield was also highest in the HCS group (44.8 kg/d.): 19% higher compared with the MCS group (36.31 kg/d., < 0.001) and 13% higher than the LCS group (38.83 kg/d., < 0.001). There was also a significant difference between the MCS and LCS groups of 6% ( < 0.001). The HCS group had the highest milk fat concentration (4.47%): it was 4% higher compared with the LCS group (4.28%, < 0.001) and 5% higher than the MCS group (4.25%, < 0.001). Milk fat to protein ratio was highest in the HCS group (1.21) and was 7% higher than in the MCS group (1.12, < 0.001) and 8% higher than in the LCS group (1.11, < 0.001). The LCS group was determined to have the highest concentration of milk lactose (4.66%). It was 1% higher compared with the MCS group (4.62%, < 0.001) and 1.07% higher than the HCS group (4.61%, < 0.001). We can conclude that parity did not affect calf health status and that cows of the HCS group showed symptoms of negative energy balance expressed through higher milk yield, higher milk fat concentration and higher milk fat to protein ratio, with lower milk lactose concentration. Further and more thorough research is needed to evaluate the relationship between pregnant cows and calves.
通过本研究，我们调查了母牛和小牛的代谢状态之间的关系及其对健康状况的影响。为此，选取了20头初产母牛的犊牛和20头经产母牛的犊牛。如McQuirk（2008年）所述，对犊牛进行了30天的监测，并对疾病症状进行评分；根据评分，将它们分为较健康的犊牛，即低犊牛评分组（LCS，5 - 8分）、中犊牛评分组（MCS，9 - 12分）和高犊牛评分组（HCS，14 - 17分）；或最易患病的犊牛。同期使用Lely Astronaut 3牛群管理系统（Lely，荷兰马斯卢伊斯）对它们的母亲进行监测，记录反刍时间、产奶量、乳脂肪、蛋白质、乳糖浓度以及乳脂肪与蛋白质的比例。对母牛和犊牛都进行了血液采样，并记录了葡萄糖和β - 羟基丁酸的浓度。结果表明，初产母牛的血糖浓度（3.03 mmol/L，标准误 = 0.093）比经产母牛（2.61 mmol/L，标准误 = 0.102）高16%（P < 0.01），但犊牛的葡萄糖浓度没有差异。按胎次分组，母牛和犊牛的β - 羟基丁酸水平没有显著差异。反刍时间在HCS组最长，为550.79分钟/天，比LCS组（461.94分钟/天；P < 0.001）长16%，比MCS组（505.56分钟/天；P < 0.001）长8%。MCS组的反刍时间平均值比LCS组高8%，差异有统计学意义（P < 0.001）。产奶量在HCS组也最高（44.8千克/天），比MCS组（36.31千克/天，P < 0.001）高19%，比LCS组（38.83千克/天，P < 0.001）高13%。MCS组和LCS组之间也有6%的显著差异（P < 0.001）。HCS组的乳脂肪浓度最高（4.47%），比LCS组（4.28%，P < 0.001）高4%，比MCS组（4.25%，P < 0.001）高5%。乳脂肪与蛋白质的比例在HCS组最高（1.21），比MCS组（1.12，P < 0.001）高7%，比LCS组（1.11，P < 0.001）高8%。LCS组的乳糖浓度最高（4.66%），比MCS组（4.62%，P < 0.001）高1%，比HCS组（4.61%，P < 0.001）高1.07%。我们可以得出结论，胎次不影响犊牛的健康状况，HCS组的母牛表现出负能量平衡的症状，表现为产奶量更高、乳脂肪浓度更高、乳脂肪与蛋白质的比例更高，而乳糖浓度更低。需要进一步更深入的研究来评估怀孕母牛和犊牛之间的关系。
