Biomedical subjects

L D Satter

Publications and source records attributed to L D Satter.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2000

Effect of coarse or fine grinding on utilization of dry or ensiled corn by lactating dairy cows.

This study evaluated the effect of coarse or fine grinding of three forms of corn on the performance of lactating cows. Six diets, fed as total mixed rations, were identical except for the corn portion of the diet. Corn treatments were dry shelled corn, high moisture ensiled ear corn, and high moisture ensiled shelled corn, either coarsely or finely ground. The experimental design was a 6 x 6 Latin square with 36 cows. Eighteen cows were assigned to the six different treatments and were fed once daily. Within this group of 18 cows, six had a ruminal cannula and were used to evaluate nutrient digestibilities and ruminal fermentation. The remaining 18 cows, six of which were ruminally cannulated, were similarly assigned, except they were fed twice daily. In the group fed once daily, milk production and composition were not affected by treatment. Starch digestibility was greater with the high moisture and with the finely ground corn treatments. In addition, the high moisture ensiled corn treatments had reduced ruminal ammonia concentrations. In the group that was fed twice daily, milk production and protein yield were greatest for the finely ground high moisture ensiled shelled corn treatment. Starch utilization was improved by fine grinding. Lower ruminal ammonia concentrations were obtained with the high moisture ensiled corn treatments, and there was a tendency for reduced ammonia concentration with fine grinding. Results indicate that high moisture ensiled corn as well as fine grinding improved nitrogen and starch utilization.

Ammonia↗

PubMed1999

Conjugated linoleic acid content of milk from cows fed different diets.

Conjugated linoleic acid in milk was determined from cows fed different diets. In Experiment 1, cows were fed either normal or high oil corn and corn silage. Conjugated linoleic acid was 3.8 and 3.9 mg/g of milk fatty acids in normal and high oil treatments, respectively. In Experiment 2, cows consumed one-third, two-thirds, or their entire feed from a permanent pasture. Alfalfa hay and concentrates supplied the balance of feed for the one-third and two-third pasture treatments. Conjugated linoleic acid was 8.9, 14.3, and 22.1 mg/g of milk fatty acids in the one-third, two-third, and all pasture treatments, respectively. Cows grazing pasture and receiving no supplemental feed had 500% more conjugated linoleic acid in milk fat than cows fed typical dairy diets (Experiment 1). In Experiment 3, cows were fed either a control diet containing 55% alfalfa silage and 45% grain, or similar diets supplemented with 3% fish meal, or 250 g of monensin/cow/per day, or fish meal and monensin together. Conjugated linoleic acid was 5.3, 8.6, 6.8, and 8.9 mg/g of milk fatty acids in the control, fish meal, monensin, and fish meal plus monensin treatments, respectively. In Experiment 4, cows were fed either finely chopped alfalfa hay (Treatment 1), or coarsely chopped alfalfa hay (Treatment 2) in a 50% forage and 50% grain diet, or 66.6% grass hay and 33.4% grain (Treatment 3), or 98.2% grass hay (Treatment 4). Conjugated linoleic acid was 7.3, 8.3, 9.0, and 7.9 mg/g of milk fatty acids in treatments 1 through 4, respectively.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Feeding strategy, nitrogen cycling, and profitability of dairy farms.

On a typical dairy farm today, large amounts of N are imported as feed supplements and fertilizer. If this N is not recycled through crop growth, it can lead to large losses to the atmosphere and ground water. More efficient use of protein feed supplements can potentially reduce the import of N in feeds, excretion of N in manure, and losses to the environment. A simulation study with a dairy farm model (DAFOSYM) illustrated that more efficient feeding and use of protein supplements increased farm profit and reduced N loss from the farm. Compared to soybean meal as the sole protein supplement, use of soybean meal along with a less rumen degradable protein feed reduced volatile N loss by 13 to 34 kg/ha of cropland with a small reduction in N leaching loss (about 1 kg/ha). Using the more expensive but less degradable protein supplement along with soybean meal improved net return by $46 to $69/cow per year, dependent on other management strategies of the farm. Environmental and economic benefits from more efficient supplementation of protein were generally greater with more animals per unit of land, higher milk production, more sandy soils, or a daily manure hauling strategy. Relatively less benefit was obtained when either alfalfa or corn silage was the sole forage on the farm or when relatively high amounts of forage were used in animal rations.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1997

Omasal sampling technique for assessing fermentative digestion in the forestomach of dairy cows.

A procedure allowing digesta sampling from the omasum via a ruminal cannula without repeated entry into the omasum was developed. The sampling system consisted of a device inserted into the omasum via the ruminal cannula, a tube connecting the device to the ruminal cannula, and a single compressor/vacuum pump. Eight cows given ad libitum access to a total mixed diet were used in a crossover design to evaluate the effects of the sampling system on digestive activity, animal performance, and animal behavior. Results indicated that the omasal sampling system has minimal effect on normal digestive and productive functions of high-producing dairy cows. Dry matter intake was reduced (24.0 vs 21.8 kg/d; P < .02) and seemed related more to the sampling procedures than to the device in the omasum. Observations of animal behavior indicated that cows with the sampling device were similar to control cows, although rumination and total chewing times were reduced slightly. The composition of digesta samples was biased toward an over-abundance of the liquid phase, but using a double-marker system to calculate digesta flow resulted in fairly small coefficients of variation for measurements of ruminal digestion variables. This technique may prove useful for partitioning digestion between the fermentative portion of the forestomach and the lower gastrointestinal tract. The omasal sampling procedure requires less surgical intervention than the traditional methods using abomasal or duodenal cannulas as sampling sites to study forestomach digestion and avoids potentially confounding endogenous secretions of the abomasum.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1997

Effect of ruminally degraded protein on protein available at the intestine assessed using blood amino acid concentrations.

The effect of increasing amounts of ruminally degraded protein on protein available at the intestine was studied using the concentration of blood plasma branched-chain amino acids as an indicator of protein flow to the small intestine. Five ruminally cannulated cows in midlactation were used in a 5 X 5 Latin square design experiment and were fed a diet containing 20% alfalfa silage, 40% corn silage, 30% shelled, coarsely ground corn, and 8% soybean meal (DM basis). Each experimental period was 17 d. Each period contained subperiods: 1 (5 d), 2 (5 d), and 3 (7 d). In addition to the basal diet, cows were given casein infusions of 0, .5, 1.0, and 2.0 kg/d. During subperiod 1, the full amount of casein was infused into the abomasum (A100); in subperiod 2, 10% of each casein level was infused into the abomasum (A10); and, during subperiod 3, the full amount of casein was infused into the rumen (R100). The concentration of branched-chain amino acids (Ile, Leu, and Val) in blood plasma increased as amounts of casein infused into the abomasum increased to the full amount. There was no increase in branch-chain amino acids when the same amount of casein was infused into the rumen, suggesting that ruminally degraded protein was adequate in the basal diet and the increased supply of degraded protein from ruminally infused casein did not increase the flow of protein to the small intestine.

Amino Acids, Branched-Chain↗

PubMed1997

Particle size of roasted soybeans and the effect on milk production of dairy cows.

Fifteen cows were used in an experiment with a 5 x 5 replicated Latin square design to quantify the effect of particle size of roasted soybeans on milk production and fecal excretion of soybeans. The five experimental periods were each 2 wk long. Diets contained (percentage of dry matter) 33% alfalfa silage, 17% corn silage, 30.6% high moisture ear corn, 18% soybeans, and 1.4% mineral supplement. The five dietary treatments included raw whole soybeans or roasted soybeans in four particle sizes (whole and half, half and quarter, quarter and smaller, and coarsely ground). Mean particle sizes of the raw soybeans and of the roasted soybeans in whole and half sizes were > 4.75 mm. Mean particle sizes of the roasted soybeans in half and quarter, quarter and smaller, and coarsely ground roasted soybeans were 2.92, 2.01, and 1.59, respectively. During the normal handling of roasted soybeans, a large number of seeds was broken into halves in the treatment with whole and half sizes (36%, wt/wt basis). Production of 3.5% fat-corrected milk was 35.4, 37.7, 37.2, 35.1, and 35.4 kg/d for cows fed raw soybeans; roasted soybeans in whole and half, half and quarter, and quarter and smaller sizes; and ground roasted soybeans, respectively. Cows that were fed raw soybeans excreted the largest amount of visible soybean particles in feces, and cows that were fed ground roasted soybeans had the least amount of soybeans in the feces (61.3 vs. 10.6 g of soybeans/kg of fecal dry matter). Roasted soybeans in half and quarter sizes are optimal for milk production.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1997

Yield response of dairy cows fed different proportions of alfalfa silage and corn silage.

Forty-five multiparous and 29 primiparous cows were used in a complete lactation study to determine milk yield and the potential for improving N utilization by cows fed diets containing different proportions of alfalfa and corn silages. Cows were fed diets with a 50:50 forage to grain ratio. The forage portion of the diet was either all alfalfa silage, two-thirds alfalfa silage and one-third corn silage, or one-third alfalfa silage and two-thirds corn silage (dry matter basis). Treatment diets were fed to 6 ruminally cannulated cows to study dietary effects on ruminal fermentation. Diets were fed as a total mixed ration. Dry matter intake as a percentage of body weight was higher for cows fed the diet containing one-third corn silage. Mean 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield from wk 1 to 36 of lactation was 31.0, 32.9, and 31.8 kg/d for cows fed the alfalfa, one-third corn silage, and two-thirds corn silage treatment diets, respectively. For 305 d of lactation, milk yield for multiparous cows was 9593, 10,170, and 10,024 kg and for primiparous cows was 8124, 8412, and 8168 kg for cows consuming the alfalfa, one-third corn silage, and two-thirds corn silage treatment diets, respectively. Diets containing two-thirds corn silage decreased milk fat content of multiparous cows during early lactation. Ruminal NH3 concentration was lower and N excretion in the environment was reduced by 6 to 15% with the diets containing corn silage. Results suggested that corn silage should constitute one-third to two-thirds of dietary forage dry matter when fed with alfalfa silage to derive maximal benefit.

Ammonia↗

PubMed1995

Digestion and energy balance in lactating dairy cows fed varying ratios of alfalfa silage and grain.

Forty-four multiparous and 43 primiparous Holstein cows were used to study the effect of dietary alfalfa silage: grain ratio on digestion, passage of digesta, and energy balance in a complete lactation experiment. Cows were placed on one of five treatments with forage contents from 38.2 to 98.2% (DM basis) during the first 12 wk of lactation. Forage content was increased during wk 13 to 26 of lactation to give diets containing 48.2 to 98.2% forage and again during wk 27 to 44 to give diets containing 68.2 to 98.2% forage. Both DMI and DM digestibilities decreased as proportion of dietary forage increased. The DM digestibilities for multiparous and primiparous cows ranged between 69.3 and 57.3% during early lactation and 64.9 and 55.5% during late lactation. Increased percentage of forage in the diet decreased and then increased (quadratic relationship) the ruminal retention time of La, a marker applied to the alfalfa silage in early and late lactation. Time cows spent eating and ruminating per kilogram of DMI increased as proportion of forage in the diet increased. Cows fed diets with a high proportion of alfalfa silage remained in negative energy balance longer than cows fed high grain diets. Intake of NEL (calculated by either of two methods) minus NEL output (milk, maintenance, and BW change) resulted in net balances of NEL after 36 wk of lactation within 5% of NEL intake and indicated that estimates of the NEL value of feedstuffs used in this experiment were reasonably accurate.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1995

Procedures for measuring the quality of heat-treated soybeans.

Soybeans were subjected to 12 heat treatments, differing in temperature and steeping (conditioning) time: control (no heat); 110 degrees C, 0 min; 110 degrees C, 30 min; 123 degrees C, 0 min; 123 degrees C, 30 min; 135 degrees C, 0 min; 135 degrees C, 30 min; 146 degrees C, 0 min; 146 degrees C, 15 min; 146 degrees C, 30 min; 153 degrees C, 30 min; and 160 degrees C, 30 min. These soybean treatments were tested for protein dispersibility index, absorbance at 420 nm, ADIN, pepsin-insoluble N, and in situ and in vitro protein degradation. Seven of these treatments (control; 123 degrees C, 30 min; 135 degrees C, 0 min; 135 degrees C, 30 min; 146 degrees C, 0 min; 146 degrees C, 30 min; and 153 degrees C, 30 min) were used in a feeding study involving 21 Holstein heifers (7 x 7 Latin square design replicated three times) and a lactation experiment (7 x 7 Latin square design replicated two times) using 14 multiparous Holstein cows in early lactation. Concentrations of branched-chain AA in blood plasma were used as indicators of protein uptake from the intestine in the heifer study, and production of 3.5% FCM was used to evaluate soybean treatments in the lactation study. Based on the criteria used, soybeans heated to 146 degrees C for 30 min were considered to be optimal. The protein dispersibility index and absorbance at 420 nm proved useful in evaluation of heat exposure of soybeans, and these procedures are suggested for routine monitoring of quality of commercially heated soybeans.

Amino Acids, Branched-Chain↗

PubMed1992

Determining optimal heat treatment of soybeans by measuring available lysine chemically and biologically with rats to maximize protein utilization by ruminants.

Soybeans were heated in a forced air oven at 120 and 130 degrees C for 60 and 180 min, and at 140, 150 and 160 degrees C for 10, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min. Two types of measurements were used to determine optimal heat treatment of soybeans to maximize protein utilization by ruminants. One was to estimate the rate and extent of protein degradation in the rumen using an in vitro ruminal system. The second was to determine the nutritional availability of lysine. Methods used to determine available lysine were an indirect fluorodinitro-benzene chemical method and a rat growth assay. The product of undegraded intake protein and available lysine content was used to estimate the amount of lysine that would escape ruminal degradation and be available for intestinal absorption. As heat input increased, ruminal undegraded intake protein increased, and protein degradation rates and total and available lysine decreased. As temperature increased, the time required to maximize post-ruminal available lysine decreased. The optimal heat treatment for soybeans heated in a forced air oven was: 140 degrees C for 120 min or greater, 150 degrees C for 60 min or 160 degrees C for 30 min. A loss of 15-22% of chemically determined available lysine was necessary to achieve the heat treatment that resulted in maximal post-ruminal available lysine.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Kinetics of hydration and effect of liquid uptake on specific gravity of small hay and silage particles.

Kinetics of hydration of ground hay and silage particles (2-mm screen), determined by a pycnometric technique, was best described by a two- and one-pool exponential model, respectively. Fractional rates of hydration of the large pool, detected in hay particles only, and of the small pool present in both hay and silage particles averaged .135 and .021 min-1, respectively. When hydration was complete, liquid associated with particles averaged 1.16, 1.90, and .83 g/g of insoluble DM for bromegrass hay, alfalfa hay, and alfalfa silage, respectively. Functional specific gravity, which accounts for the effect of associated gas volume, averaged 1.54, 1.46, and 1.54, but unit specific gravity, calculated to include the effect of gases and liquid of hydration, averaged 1.22, 1.14, and 1.26 for bromegrass hay, alfalfa hay, and alfalfa silage, respectively. Preservation of forage as silage not only lowered gas volume, but also reduced water-holding capacity, both of which contribute to greater unit specific gravity and faster rate of escape from the rumen. In addition, estimates of unit specific gravity of approximately 1.2 indicate that even in the absence of associated gas, hydrated forage particles would tend to escape the rumen at a slower rate than that achieved by more dense particles.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1992

Effect of microbial fermentation on functional specific gravity of small forage particles.

Two experiments were designed to determine the effect of gas production during in vitro digestion on functional specific gravity (FSG) of forage particles. In Exp. 1, FSG of ground alfalfa hay decreased from 1.123 to 1.049 between 3 and 9 h of incubation and increased thereafter to reach a plateau at 1.309 after 30 h of incubation. Gas production peaked at 6 h, but gas associated with particles increased until 9 h of incubation. Gas associated with solid residue was correlated to gas production (r = -.67) but also was influenced by gas holding capacity and rate of escape from the particles. In Exp. 2, measurements were performed on ground alfalfa hay, alfalfa silage, and bromegrass hay containing 42.6, 35, and 66.4% NDF, respectively. Gas production seemed to be related to the amount of readily available substrate. Although at 9 h of incubation more gas was produced by alfalfa silage (.235 mL.min-1.g of DM-1) than by bromegrass hay and alfalfa hay (.087 and .187 mL.min-1.g of DM-1, respectively), gas associated with particles was greater for alfalfa hay (.416 mL/g of DM) than for bromegrass hay and alfalfa silage (.256 and .281 mL/g of DM, respectively). The increase in FSG was more rapid for alfalfa silage than for the hays. After 27 h of digestion, gas associated with particles (milliliters per gram of DM) and FSG were .164, 1.226; .147, 1.235; and .001, 1.467 for bromegrass hay, alfalfa hay, and alfalfa silage, respectively. Gas produced during fermentation delayed the increase in specific gravity of forage particles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1992

Effect of copper and cobalt addition on digestion and growth in heifers fed diets containing alfalfa silage or corn crop residues.

Copper and cobalt were added to the diet of heifers in excess of NRC recommendations for these minerals. In Experiment 1, the rate of DM disappearance from dacron bags placed in the rumen was increased by the additional dietary Cu and Co for alfalfa hay (14.6 vs. 8.4%/h) and corn cobs (5.8 vs. 3.1%/h) but did not affect the DM disappearance rate for corn crop residue silage (3.6 vs. 3.4%/h). In Experiment 2, additional Cu and Co increased DM disappearance rate of corn crop residue silage (6.2 vs. 3.4%/h) but did not influence the rate of alfalfa hay (8.6 vs. 7.6%/h). In Experiment 3, a random design with a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement was used. The diet consisted of 45% corn crop residue silage, 35% alfalfa silage containing 60 or 40% DM, 18% high moisture corn, and 2% vitamin and mineral mix with or without added Cu and Co, respectively. Each of the four diets was group-fed to 9 light and 11 heavy Holstein heifers. Growth rate was lower with Cu and Co supplementation, but DM digestibility was improved by the additional Cu and Co. These results indicate that addition of Cu and Co above the NRC requirements may aid in digestion of low quality forages.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Chemical, in vitro, and in vivo evaluation of soybeans heat-treated by various processing methods.

In trial 1, eight Holstein heifers weighing 410 kg were used in an 8 x 8 Latin square and fed TMR containing 79.3% alfalfa silage and 20% soybeans. The first four treatments were raw soybeans, soybeans roasted and held for 3 h at the roasting temperature, extruded soybeans, and soybeans roasted in a California Pellet Mill Jet-Sploder. The remaining four treatments were obtained by altering the residence time of soybeans in the Jet Sploder. The temperatures of soybeans exiting the roaster were 117, 126, 138, and 154 degrees C for the last four treatments. The soybeans held 3 h postroasting and the extruded soybeans resulted in the highest estimate of postruminal available lysine. Blood plasma concentrations of essential and branched-chain AA were highest in heifers fed soybeans held 3 h postroasting. In trial 2, 44 Holstein heifers weighing 150 to 250 kg were assigned randomly to one of four TMR. Diets consisted of 91.8% alfalfa silage and 7.5% of one of four soybean treatments. Treatments were raw soybeans, soybeans roasted in a drum roaster with an exit temperature of 146 degrees C, and those roasted with exit temperatures of 141 or 146 degrees C and held for .5 h. Estimated postruminal available lysine was higher for soybeans roasted and held versus roasted or raw soybeans. However, BW gain for heifers was similar across diets, averaging .90 kg/d for 12 wk. Concentrations of AA in plasma were not affected by diet. Overall, results support the recommendation of holding soybeans for at least .5 h following roasting.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1992

Impact of alfalfa maturity and preservation method on milk production by cows in early lactation.

Ninety-six cows in early lactation were used in two experiments to measure the impact of alfalfa maturity (early or midbud vs. early or midbloom) and method of forage preservation (silage vs. hay) on DMI and milk production. Silage diets were fed as TMR, and hay was fed separately from grain. All diets contained 60% alfalfa (dry basis) and were balanced for 19% CP. Maturity had little effect on milk production in either experiment. Adjusted milk production for early cut silage, late cut silage, early cut hay, and late cut hay were 33.6, 33.4, 30.7, and 32.1 kg/d for Experiment 1 and 38.1, 37.0, 35.0 and 35.0 kg/d for Experiment 2. Increased alfalfa maturity tended to reduce DMI. Cows fed the silage diets consumed 1.2 kg more DM and produced an average of 2.1 kg more milk daily in Experiment 1 than those fed the hay diets. All treatment groups consumed similar amounts of DM in Experiment 2; however, cows fed silage produced 2.6 kg/d more milk than those fed hay. Preserving alfalfa as silage and feeding in a TMR to cows in early lactation resulted in greater milk production via increased DMI or improved feed efficiency compared with preserving alfalfa as hay and feeding grain separately.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1992

Impact of stage of maturity and method of preservation of alfalfa on digestion in lactating dairy cows.

Four multiparous Holstein cows in midlactation were fed 60:40 forage:grain (dry basis) diets containing first-cutting alfalfa harvested at the early bud or early flower stage of maturity. Each of the two maturities was preserved as silage and hay. A 4 x 4 Latin square design experiment (28-d periods) was conducted to measure the impact of alfalfa maturity and method of preservation on milk production and composition, intake, digestion, digesta passage, and particle size of digesta. Milk production and composition were not affected by treatment. Increases in fiber intake resulted from increased maturity and preservation as hay, but this did not appear to limit DMI or milk production. Both increased maturity and preservation as hay resulted in the following effects in cows: more time spent ruminating, greater total chewing time, greater wet and dry rumen fill, and a greater volume of rumen contents. Rumen retention time of La applied to forage was 6 h less, and 0-h disappearance of DM from dacron bags was greater for silage than hay. In situ DM disappearance rates averaged 15%/h for silage and 9.5%/h for hay. Lag time was related inversely to 0-h disappearance. Masticates and mixed rumen samples from cows fed hay showed a greater percentage of DM as particles greater than or equal to 9.5 mm in length. Gross feed efficiency was greater for cows fed alfalfa silage than for those fed alfalfa hay, probably because of more rapid digestion and passage. The potential for rumen fill to limit intake in high producing cows appears to be greater for alfalfa preserved as hay than that preserved as silage.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1992

Determination of markers in digesta and feces by direct current plasma emission spectroscopy.

A method is described for the preparation of bovine ruminal contents, duodenal digesta, and feces for analysis of Co, Cr, La, Sm, Eu, and Yb by direct current plasma emission spectroscopy. Ground, dried sample was refluxed in concentrated nitric acid until 2 to 3 ml of acid remained. The ash was redissolved in 6N HCl. Lithium hydroxide was added to suppress ionization, and the samples were diluted with distilled water for analysis. Element recovery, expressed as the ratio of element recovered from digesta samples augmented prior to ashing compared with those augmented after sample digestion, ranged from 71.5 to 100.5% and was affected by digesta type. Addition of 1000 ppm of Li to the sample matrix improved recovery of Co and La from 93.4 and 83.3% to 97.8 and 98.3%, respectively. Lithium did not affect recovery of the other elements. Type of digesta matrix affected emission intensity. Addition of 1000 ppm of Li to the sample matrices enhanced signal output in the digesta matrices by 25 to 30% for each element. Lithium tended to minimize differences in signal output caused by the organic matrix but did not eliminate them. Increasing Li concentration from 1000 to 4000 ppm did not increase signal output or completely buffer out the higher emission intensity associated with the organic matrix. Sensitivity of analysis of Co, Cr, and rare earth elements was comparable with or better than sensitivities reported with neutron activation analysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Recombinant bovine somatotropin with lactating cows fed diets differing in energy density.

Sixty-four Holstein cows (32 primiparous) were assigned randomly at parturition to one of two diets differing in forage:grain ratio and were further assigned to either control or treatment with recombinant bST. A full lactation study was conducted. Total mixed rations consisted of alfalfa silage, high moisture ear corn, soybean meal, and vitamin and mineral supplements. Percentages of forage in the diet (dry basis) for the high and medium energy diets were wk 1 to 12, 38.2 and 58.2; wk 13 to 26, 48.2 and 68.2; and wk 27 to 44, 68.2 and 88.2. Injection of a saline placebo or 20.6 mg/d per cow of bST started at wk 13 and stopped at wk 43 of lactation. Administration of bST increased 305-d milk yield by 19.9 and 18.3% for multiparous cows fed high and medium grain diets and by 13.0 and 5.9% for primiparous cows fed the same diets. Body weight gain during lactation tended to be lower for cows treated with bST, and body condition scores were significantly lower for those treated with bST and fed the medium energy diets. Daily injection of bST did not change concentrations of glucose or urea in blood or beta-hydroxybutyrate in plasma. Multiparous cows had a transitory increase in plasma FFA concentration immediately after bST treatment started. Milk composition, health, and reproductive parameters observed were not adversely affected by bST administration. Cows fed low energy diets during bST administration in the first lactation did not produce as much milk as controls when compared during the first 10 wk of their second lactation.

Animal Feed↗