Publication Database

Evaluation of two different treatment procedures after calving to improve harvesting of high quantity and quality colostrum (2019)

Art

Vortrag

Autoren

Borchardt, Stefan (WE 19)

Sutter, Franziska (WE 19)

Schuenemann, Gustavo

Rauch, Elke

Erhard, M

Heuwieser, Wolfgang (WE 19)

Kongress

17th International Conference on Production Diseases in Farm Animals

Bern, 27. – 29.06.2019

Quelle

17th International Conference on Production Diseases in Farm Animals - Proceedings — Rupert M. Bruckmaier, Josef J. Gross (Hrsg.)

1 Auflage

Bern: Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty University of Bern Bremgartenstrasse 109a CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland, 2019 — S. 131

ISBN: 978-3-906813-93-6

Verweise

DOI: 10.7892/boris.131406

Kontakt

Tierklinik für Fortpflanzung

Königsweg 65
Haus 27
14163 Berlin
+49 30 838 62618
fortpflanzungsklinik@vetmed.fu-berlin.de

Abstract / Zusammenfassung

Introduction
Management and nutrition of the newborn calf during the first hours of life have the potential to permanently affect the lifetime performance of a dairy cow. It is known, that the timely delivery of colostrum, the colostrum quality and quantity, and the rate and amount of intestinal IgG absorption are essential components to guarantee a successful passive transfer in calves. In order to achieve these goals, it is important to harvest a sufficient quantity of high quality colostrum. Release of oxytocin is the prerequisite for milk ejection and complete colostrum harvest. A continuous ejection of colostrum is dependent on the presence of adequate circulating oxytocin concentration. Milk ejection is an innate neuroendocrine reflex, which involves the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and sensory neurons in the teat. In neurosecretory terminals of the pituitary gland, oxytocin is stored and emptied into the bloodstream upon successful stimulation. Tactile stimulation of the teats results in the release of oxytocin and causes the contraction of myoepithelial cells around the mammary alveoli, whereby the alveolar milk fraction can be removed. The objective of this study was to evaluate two different treatment procedures at the first milking after calving to increase colostrum quantity and improve colostrum quality by applying exogenous oxytocin or to stimulate endogenous oxytocin secretion. We hypothesized that either exogenous treatment with oxytocin or the presence of the calf before first milking leads to higher colostrum quantity and higher IgG concentration.

Materials and Methods
A total of 567 cows at the time of calving were enrolled, but for the final analyses only 521 animals were considered. The cows were randomly assigned on a daily basis into 1 of 3 groups: 1) control group (CON; n=177), 2) application of 20 IU oxytocin intramuscular (OXY; n=163), and 3) presence of the calf (CALF; n=181) before and during milking. Cows in the control and oxytocin group had no contact to their calves after calving and were milked in a separate milking parlor. Cows in the oxytocin group were injected with 20 IU oxytocin intramuscular 3 minutes before manual stimulation. For cows in the third group, the calf was placed into a calf cart and located in front of the cow 3 minutes before manipulation of the cow. Colostrum quantity was determined by a digital hanging scale. The colostrum quality was assessed with digital Brix refractometry and sandwich ELISA. To evaluate the effect of two different treatment procedures, a generalized linear mixed model was constructed using SPSS.

Results
The mean colostrum quantity was 4.17±0.30 kg (min: 0.00 kg, max: 28.40 kg). The treatment procedure had no effect on colostrum quantity (P = 0.450). Parity (P = 0.016), calf birth weight (P = 0.001), calving time (P = 0.093), gestation length (P = 0.051), and the square of gestation length (P = 0.050) affected colostrum quantity. Parity 2 cows had the lowest quantity of colostrum (3.54±0.37 kg) compared with cows in parity 1 (4.49±0.40 kg) and cows in parity 3 or greater (4.49±0.35 kg). Cows calving during the night shift (4.67±0.38 kg) had the highest quantity of colostrum compared with cows calving in the morning (3.98±0.37 kg) or afternoon shift (3.87±0.38 kg). Gestation length and the square of gestation length affected the colostrum quantity positively.
The mean IgG concentration measured by sandwich ELISA was 54.6±2.80 mg IgG/mL (min: 14.5 mg IgG/mL, max: 146.3 mg IgG/mL). Colostrum quality was affected by the treatment procedure (P = 0.059). In addition, colostrum quantity (P = 0.001), parity (P = 0.001), calving time (P = 0.002), gestation length (P = 0.027) and the day of the week (P = 0.049) had an effect on the IgG concentration in colostrum. Both treatment procedures, i.e., OXY with mean IgG concentration results of 56.62 mg IgG/mL (P = 0.035) and CALF with 56.08 mg IgG/mL (P = 0.047), resulted in higher IgG concentrations in colostrum compared with CON (51.01 mg IgG/mL). With increasing colostrum quantity, the colostrum quality decreased in primiparous cows (r = -0.21) and in multiparous cows (r = -0.13). Gestation length affected the colostrum quality negatively. Concentration of IgG was higher for cows in parity 3 or greater (65.6±3.06 mg IgG/mL) compared with cows in parity 1 (47.7±3.32 mg IgG/mL) and cows in parity 2 (50.4±3.28 mg IgG/mL). Cows calving during the night shift had greater IgG concentrations (60.5±3.32 mg IgG/mL) compared to cows calving in the morning (49.9±3.31 mg IgG/mL) or afternoon shift (53.3±3.32 mg IgG/mL). Harvesting colostrum on Sundays resulted in the highest IgG concentration (62.4±4.04 mg IgG/mL).
The mean Brix refractometry result was 25.8 ±0.23% Brix (min: 15.7% Brix, max: 39.7% Brix). Treatment procedure had no effect on colostrum quality (P = 0.515). Colostrum quantity (P = 0.001), parity (P = 0.001), gestation length (P = 0.061), and the square of gestation length (P = 0.061) affected colostrum quality. There was a negative association between colostrum quantity and quality determined by Brix refractometry. The correlation coefficient was r = -0.09 in primiparous cows and r = -0.17 in multiparous cows. Brix readings were greater for cows in parity 3 or higher (27.5±0.29% Brix) compared with cows in parity 1 (25.0±0.35% Brix) and cows in parity 2 (24.8±0.33% Brix). Similar to colostrum quantity, there was a negative association of colostrum quality and gestation length. The square of gestation length was positively associated with colostrum quality. The correlation coefficient between the analysis with sandwich ELISA and the assessment via Brix refractometry was r = 0.44.

Conclusions
In conclusion, none of the treatment procedures improved colostrum quantity. However, the administration of parental oxytocin and presence of the calf increased IgG concentration in colostrum of cows measured by sandwich ELISA compared with the control group. The external validity in our study is limited; therefore, the results should be validated with a multicentric study design. Future studies should involve several farms to increase external validity.