2001 Volume 72 Issue 10 Pages 587-593
Preventive effect of appropriate feed management practices within the same time on periparturient diseases in dairy cows was investigated from the viewpoint of preparturient body weight changes.86 Holstein cows and heifers were fed fixed (control) or gradually increased (experiment) amounts of high energy feeds as well as hay allowed free-choice consumption during the last three weeks of gestation. In the cows with nutrient condition for obese at the beginning of the dry period, the average body weight-reduction rates with standard deviation during the last month of gestation, excluding an additional weight associating with the development of gestation, and the incidences of periparturient diseases, were significantly alleviated (P<0.01) from 5.0±2.9% in the control herd to 1.4±2.5% in the experimental one, and showed a decreasing tendency (P<0.1) from 6 (75%) of 8 cases to 3 (23%) of 13, respectively. In the cows with suitable nutrient condition at the same time, the reduction rates were not statistically different between 2.9±3.6% in the control herd and 1.0±2.7% in the experimental one, though the incidences were significantly decreased (P<0.01) from 5 (63%) of 8 cases to 3 (11%) of 27, respectively. In the heifers in both control and experimental herds, the occurrence of the diseases was observed in 1 (9%) of 11 cases in the control herd without the body weight-reduction in both ones. These results suggested that the appropriate preparturient feed management practices diminished the incidence of the diseases owing to the effect to alleviate the preparturient body weight-reduction and the other factor unascertained in this survey.
