Identification and characterization of dairy cows with different backfat thickness antepartum in relation to postpartum loss of backfat thickness: A cluster analytic approach

Journal of Dairy Science

M.H. Ghaffari¹  C. Parys²  M. Hoelker²  H. Sauerwein³  J. Guyader³  M. Drillich⁴  M. Iwersen⁵  R. Riosa⁵  H.M. Hammon⁵  D. Süss⁶ 

[1] College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden G611QH, United Kingdom;Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, University Clinic for Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria;Evonik Operations GmbH, 63457 Hanau, Germany;Institute of Animal Science, Department of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, University of Bonn, 53175 Bonn, Germany;Institute of Animal Science, Physiology Unit, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany;Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany;

关键词: dairy cows;    cluster analysis;    transition period;    body condition;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

ABSTRACT: The objectives of this study were (1) to characterize the interindividual variation in the relationship between antepartum (ap) backfat thickness (BFT) and subsequent BFT loss during early lactation in a large dairy herd using cluster analysis; (2) to compare the serum concentrations of metabolites (nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate), metabolic hormones (leptin and adiponectin), and an inflammatory marker (haptoglobin) among the respective clusters; and (3) to compare lactation performance and uterine health status in the different clusters. An additional objective was (4) to investigate differences in these serum variables and in milk yield of overconditioned (OC) cows that differed in the extent of BFT loss. Using data from a large study of 1,709 multiparous Holstein cows, we first selected those animals from which serum samples and BFT results (mm) were available at d 25 (±10) ap and d 31 (±3 d) postpartum (pp). The remaining 713 cows (parity of 2 to 7) were then subjected to cluster analysis: different approaches based on the BFT of the cows were performed. K-means (unsupervised machine learning algorithm) clustering based on BFT-ap alone identified 5 clusters: lean (5–8 mm BFT, n = 50), normal (9–12 mm, n = 206), slightly fat (SF; 13–16 mm, n = 203), just fat (JF; 16–22 mm, n = 193), and very fat (VF; 23–43 mm, n = 61). Clustering by difference between BFT-ap and BFT-pp (ΔBFT) also revealed 5 clusters: extreme loss (17–23 mm ΔBFT, n = 16), moderate loss (9–15 mm, n = 119), little loss (4–8 mm, n = 326), no loss (0–3 mm, n = 203), and gain (−8 to −1 mm, n = 51). Based on the blood variables measured, our results confirm that cows with greater BFT losses had higher lipid mobilization and ketogenesis than cows with less BFT loss. The serum variables of cows that gained BFT did not differ from normal cows. Milk yield was affected by the BFT-ap cluster, but not by the ΔBFT cluster. Cows categorized as VF had lesser milk yield than other clusters. We further compared the OC cows that had little or no BFT loss (i.e., 2% of VF, 12% of JF, and 31% of SF, OC-no loss, n = 85) with the OC cows that lost BFT (OC-loss, n = 135). Both NEFA and BHB pp concentrations and milk yield were greater in OC-loss cows compared with the OC-no loss cows. The serum concentration of leptin ap was greater in OC-loss than in the OC-no loss cows. Overall, OC cows lost more BFT than normal or lean cows. However, those OC cows with a smaller loss of BFT produced less milk than OC cows with greater losses.

【 授权许可】

Unknown