Effect of oral calcium administration on metabolic status and uterine health of dairy cows with reduced postpartum rumination and eating time.

BACKGROUND: Hypocalcemia has detrimental effects on health and performance of dairy cows. As hypocalcemic cows show reduced feed intake, we hypothesized that cows with reduced combined rumination and eating time (CRET) may benefit from Ca supplementation. The objective was to evaluate the effect of postpartum oral Ca administration on metabolic status (Calcium [Ca], fatty acids [FA], and ß-Hydroxybutyrate [BHB] serum concentrations) and incidence of puerperal metritis (PM) in dairy cows with reduced postpartum CRET. Cows in an organic-certified dairy, diagnosed with reduced CRET (< 489 min/d; n = 88) during the first day postpartum were assigned into 1 of 2 treatments: i) Calcium administration (CA; n = 45) that received 1 Ca oral capsule (Bovikalc bolus, Boehringer Ingelheim, St. Joseph, MO) containing CaCl2 and CaSO4 (43 g of Ca) once per day, for 3 consecutive days, starting at d 1 postpartum; and ii) Control (CON; n = 43) that did not receive oral Ca. A convenience group consisting of cows with CRET ≥489 min/d was used for comparison and did not receive oral Ca (NOR; n = 96). RESULTS: At day 1 postpartum cows with reduced CRET had lower Ca serum concentrations (CA = 2.08 mmol/L; CON = 2.06 mmol/L) compared with NOR cows (2.17 mmol/L). Calcium concentrations at d 3, 5, and 12 postpartum were not different among the three groups. Serum FA concentrations at d 1, 3 and 5 postpartum were higher in both CA and CON cows compared with NOR. At d 12, only CA cows had higher FA concentrations than NOR cows. Serum BHB concentrations at d 3 were highest in CA, with no difference between CON and NOR. At d 5, BHB concentrations were higher in CA, followed by CON, and NOR. No effect was observed for Ca administration on incidence of PM and reproductive performance. CON cows had lower survival at 30 DIM (86.5%) than NOR cows (97.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The use of remote sensor technology identified cows with reduced rumination and eating time that had lower postpartum serum concentrations of calcium and altered metabolic status. However, oral calcium administration to cows with reduced CRET did not affect incidence of metabolic disorders nor reproductive health and subsequent pregnancy. Although survival at 30 days postpartum was lower for non-Ca supplemented cows, the identification of effective interventions in cows with reduced CRET requires further consideration.

Efficacy of a botanical preparation for the intramammary treatment of clinical mastitis on an organic dairy farm.

The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of a botanical product (PHYTO-MAST(®)) for the intra-mammary treatment of clinical mastitis (CM) in dairy cows managed in an organic system. The study involved 194 naturally occurring cases of clinical mastitis. Treatment was applied every 12 hours for 3 days and cows were evaluated for clinical cure starting on day 4. Outcomes of interest consisted of mastitis resolution at day 4, time to resolution, somatic cell score (SCS) after recovery, and bacteriological cure at 14 and 28 d after treatment. There was no significant effect on clinical mastitis resolution at day 4 for treatment compared with the control group. However, there was a faster recovery for the treatment group compared to the control group with median intervals from end of treatment to recovery of 4.6 d and 6.5 d, respectively. There was no effect on the probability of a SCS < 4 (200 000 SC/mL) after treatment. No significant effects were found for treatment on bacteriological cure at days 14 and 28.

L'efficacité du produit d'origine botanique dans le traitement, par voie intra mammaire, de la mastite clinique dans une ferme laitière organique. L'objectif de cette recherche était l'évaluation de l'efficacité du produit d'origine botanique (PHYTO-MAST®) dans le traitement, par voie intra mammaire, de la mastite clinique des vaches laitières élevées dans une exploitation biologique. La recherche comprenait 194 cas de mastite clinique développés naturellement. Les traitements furent appliqués tous les 12 heures pendant 3 jours et le degré de guérison des vaches fut évalué le 4ème jour. Les résultats d'intérêt ont compris la rémission de la mastite le 4ème jour, le temps de rémission et la guérison bactériologique au 14ème et 28ème jour après le traitement. Quand à la rémission de la mastite clinique en comparaison au groupe contrôle, il n'y a pas eu d'effet significatif le 4ème jour. Cependant, l'analyse des temps indiqua une rémission plus rapide pour le groupe en traitement en comparaison avec le groupe contrôle. Il n'y avait pas d'effet de la probabilité d'un SCC à moins de 4 (200 000 SC/mL) après le traitement. On ne trouva pas d'effet significatif pour le traitement sur la guérison bactériologique aux 14ème et 28ème jours. Il est nécessaire de réaliser des recherches plus approfondies sur l'efficacité de cette préparation botanique dans le traitement de la mastite clinique dans des fermes laitières biologiques.(Traduit par les auteurs).