Body composition of dairy cows according to lactation stage, somatotropin treatment, and concentrate supplementation.
Body weight, condition score, deuteriated water dilution space, estimated body lipids and proteins, and calculated energy and protein balances were determined in 24 multiparous Holstein cows at wk 1, 7, 20, and 39 after parturition. Cows received two levels of energy concentrate (high and low groups) from wk 3. The objective was to estimate changes in body composition as affected by stage of lactation, concentrate level, and bST administration or placebo from wk 9 in a 2 x 2 factorial design. Cows from high and low energy groups lost 25 and 35 kg of body lipids and 3.3 and .5 kg of body proteins, respectively, during the first 7 wk of lactation. During the end of the winter period (wk 8 to 20), control and bST-injected cows lost 8.5 and 21.1 kg of body lipids, respectively. During the grazing period (wk 20 to 39), bST-injected cows gained more BW (34 kg), water (36 kg), and estimated proteins (5.8 kg) and lost more condition score (-.2 units) and estimated lipids (-11.5 kg) than controls. Using data from control periods, it was calculated that 1 unit change in body condition score corresponded to changes of 35 to 44 kg in BW (corrected for estimated gut content variation), 21 to 29 kg in body lipids, and 200 to 300 Mcal in body energy. One kilogram of corrected BW change corresponded to a change of 4.3 or 5.5 to 5.9 Mcal in body energy when calculated from cumulative energy balances or body components, respectively.
Chilliard
Y
Y
Laboratoire Lactation et Elevage des Ruminants, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Theix, St.-Genès-Champanelle, France.
Cissé
M
M
Lefaivre
R
R
Rémond
B
B
D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects; D001834:Body Water; D002417:Cattle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
D008055:Lipids; D011506:Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone