RT Journal Article
T1 Effects of calving body condition score on blood acid–base balance of primiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows in a commercial dairy farm: a case study
A1 Muiño Otero, Rodrigo
A1 Hernández Bermúdez, Joaquín
A1 Benedito Castellote, José Luis
A1 Castillo Rodríguez, Cristina
K1 Heifers
K1 Parturition
K1 Body condition score
K1 Nutrition
K1 Acid–base balance
K1 Milk yield
AB The study was carried out on 27 healthy primiparous Holstein heifers (620 ± 50 kg) kept in a commercial dairy herd. The animals were divided into two groups taking into account the body condition score (BCS) index: BCS < 3.5, n = 12; BCS > 3.5 n = 15. The study period started one month before calving (BC), and ran until one month after calving (AC). Venous blood samples were collected 1 month and 1 week BC, and 1 week and 1 month AC. This study had two objectives: (i) to assess whether a higher or lower BCS affected total milk production and its quality; (ii) to assess changes in the internal fluid (venous pH; partial pressure of CO2, ppCO2; bicarbonate; total CO2, TCO2; base excess, BE; electrolytes Na+, K+, Cl−; and anion gap, AG) that occur during this phase depending on the BCS. We can conclude that the BCS at calving does not affect the productive status during lactation, both in terms of the quantity and quality of milk produced. The excess of crude protein (CP) added through the ration in the lactation phase can trigger a tendency to an alkalotic state, in this case compensated by respiratory buffering mechanisms, as reflected by the TCO2. The changes in electrolytes are a reflection of the movement of free water for milk production, where a balance between measurable anions and cations is observed
PB MDPI
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/26648
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/26648
LA eng
NO Muiño Otero, R., Hernández Bermúdez, J., Benedito Castellote, J. L. & Castillo Rodríguez, C. (2021). Effects of calving body condition score on blood acid–base balance of primiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows in a commercial dairy farm: a case study. Animals, 11(7), 2075-. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11072075
NO This study was financed in part by Proxectos Plan Galego IDT (Code 2017-PG138) de la Consellería de Medio Rural de la Xunta de Galicia (Proyects Galician IDT Plan of the Ministry of Rural Environment of Xunta de Galicia) (FEADER 2017/057B). The title of the project was: “Sistema de control y valoración de la eficiencia de las explotaciones ganaderas para la producción sostenible de leche” (System of control and evaluation of the efficiency of livestock farms for the sustainable production of milk)
DS Minerva
RD 28 abr 2026