Effect of dietary forage:grain ratio on blood constituents in dairy cows.
Forty-nine primiparous and 44 multiparous lactating Holstein cows were used to study the effect of five dietary forage: grain ratios on blood constituents. Blood samples were collected in wk 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 of lactation and were analyzed for glucose, urea, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and FFA. Increasing the percentage of forage in the diet decreased blood glucose concentration. Glucose levels were low at the beginning of lactation and increased as DMI increased. Increasing percentage of forage in the diet did not affect blood urea concentration. Increasing forage in the diet from 38.2 to 98.2% increased beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations threefold during the first 4 wk of lactation in both primiparous and multiparous cows. The concentration of plasma FFA was higher in all the treatments at the beginning of lactation and decreased as lactation advanced. Dietary forage:grain ratio did not affect plasma FFA.
US Dairy Forage Research Center, USDA, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.
T R
TR
Dhiman
J
J
Kleinmans
N J
NJ
Tessmann
H D
HD
Radloff
P
P
Van Evert
L D
LD
Satter
D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood*; D002523:Edible Grain; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000097:blood*; D007774:Lactation / Q000097:blood; D010298:Parity; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D014508:Urea; D020155:3-Hydroxybutyric Acid