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Principal Investigator: Dr. Tracy Stokol
Contact Information: E-mail: ts23@cornell.edu - Phone: 607-253-3255
Sponsor: USDA- Federal Formula Funds
Grant Number: 2005-06-077
Title: Negative Energy Balance and Related Diseases in Northeast Dairy Herds: An Investigative and Educational Outreach Project
Annual Direct Cost: $30,000
Project Period: 10/01/05-09/30/08
Inadequate energy intake in dairy cows around calving produces a state of negative energy balance, which is detrimental to the health and productivity of the herd. Currently, little is known about the extent of this problem and its impact on dairy herds in the Northeastern United States. This proposal will determine: 1) The extent of negative energy balance in dairy herds in the Northeast; 2) How negative energy balance relates to diseases that affect dairy cows and their fertility and milk production after calving; 3) How best to detect negative energy balance in a dairy herd.
The nutritional and energy needs of dairy cows are maximal during the transition period, i.e. the few weeks before and after calving. Large amounts of energy and nutrients are required to sustain fetal growth and achieve high milk yield. Yet, for various reasons, many transition dairy cows are in a state of negative energy balance. This state is not only detrimental to the health of the individual cow, but also affects overall herd productivity. Negative energy balance has been associated with the development of metabolic (e.g. ketosis, displaced abomasum) and infectious (e.g. metritis, mastitis) diseases, which usually peak post-calving and substantially impact milk production. Yet, despite this, negative energy balance remains an under-diagnosed, but important, problem for dairy herds. With the continual demand for a cheap and constant source of dairy products and genetic selection of dairy cows for maximal milk production, this situation is only likely to worsen. It is essential that we address the nutritional and metabolic needs of transition dairy cows, because this area of dairy production medicine has the potential to achieve the best gains in herd productivity, whilst minimizing production costs. Currently, we do not know the extent of negative energy balance, and its related metabolic disorder, subclinical ketosis, in dairy herds in the Northeast, nor the best ways to detect or manage it on a herd level. Our objectives with this proposal are to fill this gap in our knowledge by: 1) Obtaining prevalence data for negative energy balance and subclinical ketosis in dairy herds in New York, Vermont and Pennsylvania; 2) Collecting a large data set whereby we can determine the associations of these 2 metabolic conditions with milk production and fertility and with disorders in post-parturient dairy cattle, including displaced abomasum, retained placenta, and infectious mastitis and metritis; 3) Determining standards for the laboratory tests (i.e. alarm levels) which will alert us to a problem with negative energy balance and subclinical ketosis in a dairy herd, i.e. what percentage of tested animals must have abnormal results to indicate a herd problem and need for management changes?; and 4) Publishing our results so that appropriate measures can be undertaken by dairy veterinarians and producers to combat negative energy balance and to educate current and future veterinarians about the relationship between energy balance and herd health and productivity.
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