title: Japanese Black breeding herd exhibiting low blood urea nitrogen: a metabolic profile study examining the effect on reproductive performance.
abstract: Ten reared cows of a Japanese Black cattle herd in Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, exhibited extremely low blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration (2.6 ± 0.6 mg/dL). Examination of dietary feed nutrition and relevant pastureland soil content suggested a correlation with crude protein (CP) deficiency or unbalanced nutritional dietary feeds. Thirteen months after the introduction of a dietary remedial measure (bean cake supplementation), BUN, total cholesterol and albumin concentration from five of the original 10 cows increased significantly compared with their values of before the dietary remedy. The postpartum day open period was significantly lower after the dietary remedial measure than that before it. The abnormally low BUN levels of the cattle herd may be due to inadequate dietary nutritional content, primarily from the imbalance of total digestible nutrient and CP of the feed and far lower han average CP value. In conclusion, routine examination of serum biochemical parameters in Japanese Black breeding cattle may be a useful strategy for determining subclinical metabolic failure of cattle herds, and consequently, its effect on reproductive performance of the herd.
authors.affiliation: United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.|Soo Veterinary Clinical Center, Soo Agriculture Mutual Aid Association, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Urara
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Soo Veterinary Clinical Center, Soo Agriculture Mutual Aid Association, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan.
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.affiliation: United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.|Laboratory of Theriogenology, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshige
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otoi
authors.affiliation: United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.|Laboratories of Clinical Pathology, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yamato
authors.affiliation: Regional Livestock Development Center, Zhemgang, Bhutan.
authors.forename: Chenga
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tshering
authors.affiliation: United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Japan.|Farm Animal Production Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takagi
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002417:Cattle / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D007887:Fabaceae; D005260:Female; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000378:metabolism; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D002784:Cholesterol