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Advances in Dairy Cow Nutrition and Metabolism
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Advances in Dairy Cow Nutrition and Metabolism

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Cattle".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2019) | Viewed by 19752

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Sven Dänicke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Bundesallee 37, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
Interests: dairy cow nutrition and metabolism; mycotoxins
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Adequate nutrition of dairy cows involves knowledge of energy and nutrient requirements for each particular period in the production cycle. Although these requirements will vary for transition and late lactating cows it is increasingly acknowledged that different periods within this production cycle should be considered closely linked to each other, and taking into account consequences for metabolism and nutritional status of the cow. Investigating these relationships not only requires the use of modern methods such as -omics-techniques but also of well-established methods. In each case, the animal experiment is the basis for all following methodological procedures to scrutinize associations between feed, ruminal and intestinal digestion and absorption, metabolism, immune status and general health, and last but not least the milking performance.  

For this purpose, I invite you to share your recent findings with the community as a contribution to a more holistic understanding of the cow. Original and review papers are welcome.    

Prof. Dr. Sven Dänicke
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Metabolism
  • Nutrition
  • -omics
  • Feedstuffs
  • Immune system and health

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2669 KiB  
Article
Chewing and Drinking Activity during Transition Period and Lactation in Dairy Cows Fed Partial Mixed Rations
by Viktoria Brandstetter, Viktoria Neubauer, Elke Humer, Iris Kröger and Qendrim Zebeli
Animals 2019, 9(12), 1088; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani9121088 - 05 Dec 2019
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3443
Abstract
Dairy cows need sufficient physically effective fibre (peNDF) in their diet to induce chewing with the latter stimulating salivation and maintaining rumen health. Thus, monitoring of chewing activity can be a non-invasive tool to assess fibre adequacy, and thus helping in the optimization [...] Read more.
Dairy cows need sufficient physically effective fibre (peNDF) in their diet to induce chewing with the latter stimulating salivation and maintaining rumen health. Thus, monitoring of chewing activity can be a non-invasive tool to assess fibre adequacy, and thus helping in the optimization of the diet. The objective of this study was to investigate and compare chewing activities of cows during transition period and in the course of lactation. Simmental dairy cows, in four different production groups such as dry period (from 8 to 6 weeks ante-calving), calving (24 h before and after calving), early-lactation (7–60 days in milk), and mid-lactation (60–120 days in milk) were used in the study. Cows were fed partial mixed rations supplemented with different amounts of concentrates. The chewing and drinking activity were recorded using rumination-halters (RumiWatch System, Itin+Hoch GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland). Feed data analysis showed that the peNDF content of the partial mixed ration (PMR) was highest during dry period, decreased around parturition, reaching the nadir in the lactation, in all cases, however, exceeding the peNDF requirements. Chewing data analysis showed that rumination time decreased (p < 0.05) in the time around parturition (from 460 min/d during dry period to 363 min/d 24 h before calving) and increased again in early-lactation (505 min/d), reaching a maximum in mid-lactation (515 min/d). Eating time was lowest for cows during early-lactation (342 min/d) and the highest for those in mid-lactation (462 min/d). Moreover, early-lactation cows spent less time (p < 0.05) drinking (8 min/d) compared to other groups (e.g., 24 min/d the day before calving and 20 min/d postpartum). Monitoring of chewing activity might be a useful tool to assess rumen disorder risks and welfare of the cows during the transition period. It further shows promising results to be used as a tool to identify cows that are shortly before calving. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dairy Cow Nutrition and Metabolism)
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19 pages, 5531 KiB  
Article
Administration of an Immune Stimulant during the Transition Period Improved Lipid Metabolism and Rumination without Affecting Inflammatory Status
by Matteo Mezzetti, Andrea Minuti, Fiorenzo Piccioli-Cappelli, Gianfranco Gabai and Erminio Trevisi
Animals 2019, 9(9), 619; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani9090619 - 28 Aug 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3061
Abstract
Omnigen-AF (OAF) increases leukocyte functions in immunosuppressed animal models and reduces incidence of infectious diseases in early lactating dairy cows, although its mode of action is still unclear. This study aims to provide a wider perspective of the metabolic effect of OAF to [...] Read more.
Omnigen-AF (OAF) increases leukocyte functions in immunosuppressed animal models and reduces incidence of infectious diseases in early lactating dairy cows, although its mode of action is still unclear. This study aims to provide a wider perspective of the metabolic effect of OAF to test its potential as a strategy to address metabolic disorders of the transition period. A group of 10 Holstein dairy cows were divided into 2 groups: The treated group (IMS; 5 cows) received 32.5 g of OAF twice a day (65 g d−1) as top-dress in the morning and afternoon feeds from −55 to 42 days from calving (DFC), whereas the control group (CTR; 5 cows) received no supplementation. From −62 to 42 DFC, body condition score, body weight, dry matter intake, rumination time and milk yield were measured; blood samples were collected weekly to assess a wide hematochemical profile and to test white blood cell functions by ex-vivo challenge assays. At 30 DFC, rumen fluid was collected and analyzed for pH, volatile fatty acids composition, urea nitrogen, and lactate contents. Data were submitted to ANOVA using a mixed model for repeated measures, including treatment, time, and their interaction as fixed effects. OAF decreased blood nonesterified fatty acids and beta hydroxybutyrate concentrations and increased rumination time in early lactation. Leukocytes from IMS cows had lower lactate production and lower glucose consumption after ex-vivo stimulation. OAF did not reduce the acute phase response indicators and reduced the blood concentrations of albumin and antioxidants after calving, suggesting impairment of hepatic functions related to protein synthesis and antioxidant management. Nevertheless, the lack of effect on bilirubin and liver enzymes refutes the possibility of severe liver damage occurring with OAF supplementation. Positive effects in reducing mobilization of body fats and ketogenesis and in increasing rumination time after calving suggest OAF effectiveness in preventing metabolic disorders of the transition period. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dairy Cow Nutrition and Metabolism)
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12 pages, 289 KiB  
Article
Effect of Different Tannin Sources on Nutrient Intake, Digestibility, Performance, Nitrogen Utilization, and Blood Parameters in Dairy Cows
by Jun Zhang, Xiaofeng Xu, Zhijun Cao, Yajing Wang, Hongjian Yang, Arash Azarfar and Shengli Li
Animals 2019, 9(8), 507; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani9080507 - 31 Jul 2019
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 4634
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of tannin sources on nutrient intake, digestibility, performance, nitrogen utilization, and blood parameters in lactating dairy cows. Four multiparous lactating Holstein cows were used in a balanced 4 × 4 Latin square design, with each period lasting 28 [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effect of tannin sources on nutrient intake, digestibility, performance, nitrogen utilization, and blood parameters in lactating dairy cows. Four multiparous lactating Holstein cows were used in a balanced 4 × 4 Latin square design, with each period lasting 28 days. Cows were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments: Control diet (CON, a totally mixed ration without tannin supplements), control diet supplemented with 3% bayberry condensed tannins (BCT), control diet supplemented with 3% Acacia mangium condensed tannins (ACT), and control diet supplemented with 3% valonia hydrolyzed tannins (VHT). Dietary treatments did not significantly affect nutrient intake, milk yield or composition, microbial protein synthesis, nitrogen utilization efficiency, or plasma concentrations of glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, total protein, and globulin, or the albumin-to-globulin ratio. Tannin supplements decreased the apparent total tract nutrient digestibility to varying degrees and significantly decreased the milk and blood urea nitrogen contents (p < 0.05). Tannin supplements altered nitrogen excretion routes in lactating dairy cows, and BCT significantly decreased the urinary nitrogen excretion (p = 0.04). Compared with the CON, ACT, and VHT diets, BCT yielded the highest nitrogen retention and nitrogen retention-to-digestible nitrogen ratio despite having a similar nitrogen utilization efficiency (p < 0.05). Bayberry condensed tannin supplementation may be a potential way to improve nitrogen utilization and reduce concerns regarding nitrogen excretion in dairy cows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dairy Cow Nutrition and Metabolism)
22 pages, 866 KiB  
Article
Effects of Body Condition and Concentrate Proportion of the Ration on Mobilization of Fat Depots and Energetic Condition in Dairy Cows during Early Lactation Based on Ultrasonic Measurements
by Katharina Bünemann, Dirk von Soosten, Jana Frahm, Susanne Kersten, Ulrich Meyer, Jürgen Hummel, Annette Zeyner and Sven Dänicke
Animals 2019, 9(4), 131; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani9040131 - 29 Mar 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3276
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate energy metabolism and lipid mobilization via ultrasonic measurements (USM), considering inner fat depots, in lactating dairy cows differing in body condition score (BCS) and fed rations with low (35% at dry matter basis; C35 [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate energy metabolism and lipid mobilization via ultrasonic measurements (USM), considering inner fat depots, in lactating dairy cows differing in body condition score (BCS) and fed rations with low (35% at dry matter basis; C35) or high (60% at dry matter basis; C60) concentrate feed proportions postpartum. Sixty pluriparous German Holstein cows were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design from d 42 antepartum (relative to calculated calving) until d 120 postpartum. Animals were divided into a group with a lower (initial BCS = 3.1 ± 0.38 SD; BCSL) and a group with a higher (initial BCS = 3.83 ± 0.41 SD; BCSH) BCS. Due to higher dry matter intake C60 groups reached the positive energy balance earlier, whereas C35 groups had a more pronounced negative energy balance. Although this would suggest a more pronounced mobilization of C35 groups the USM revealed no differences between feeding groups. Differences in BCS between both BCS groups remained almost the same over the trial. This was not reflected in ultrasonic data, as lipid mobilization was higher in higher conditioned cows. These findings demonstrate the extended possibilities of USM to depict metabolic processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dairy Cow Nutrition and Metabolism)
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15 pages, 438 KiB  
Article
Feeding Diets Moderate in Physically Effective Fibre Alters Eating and Feed Sorting Patterns without Improving Ruminal pH, but Impaired Liver Health in Dairy Cows
by Iris Kröger, Elke Humer, Viktoria Neubauer, Nicole Reisinger and Qendrim Zebeli
Animals 2019, 9(4), 128; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani9040128 - 29 Mar 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3603
Abstract
The main challenge in dairy cattle feeding is to find a balance between the energy and physically effective fibre (peNDF), required to maintain rumen health. In an attempt to regulate the balance between energy intake and rumen buffering, we hypothesized that the content [...] Read more.
The main challenge in dairy cattle feeding is to find a balance between the energy and physically effective fibre (peNDF), required to maintain rumen health. In an attempt to regulate the balance between energy intake and rumen buffering, we hypothesized that the content of peNDF in the diet modifies eating and feed sorting patterns of the cows. Sixteen lactating Simmental cows were switched from a diet high in peNDF, with which they were fed for one week, to a diet moderate in peNDF for four weeks. Data showed that during the moderate peNDF feeding the cows increased sorting for medium-sized particles and avoided both long and very fine particles. In addition, cows decreased their eating time per meal, but increased the number of meals per day, obviously attempting to decrease the amount of fermentable substrate per time unit while maintaining high levels of nutrient/energy intake. Although these changes during the moderate peNDF feeding went along with a lower diurnal variation of ruminal pH, feeding of the latter diet did not prevent ruminal pH drop and increased the level of all liver enzymes, indicating liver tissue damage. In conclusion, the altered eating, chewing, and sorting behaviour of the cows during the moderate peNDF feeding could not alleviate the deficiency in peNDF, which resulted in ruminal pH depression and impairment of liver health variables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Dairy Cow Nutrition and Metabolism)
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