Effects of close-up dietary energy content and rumen-protected lysine and methionine fed pre – and postpartum on performance and health of Holstein cows

The transition period tends to be a difficult period in the dairy cow's lifecycle. The cow must undergo metabolic and reproductive changes that can hinder lactation performance or cause metabolic disorders following calving. Cows experience a decrease in dry matter intake (DMI) starting prepartum when nutrient requirements of the fetus and mammary gland increase. Additionally, following calving the mammary gland requires a dramatic increase of nutrients to support lactation. Increased nutrient demand and decreased DMI lead cows to have negative energy balance (NEB) and negative protein balance (NPB). To mitigate NEB and NPB, it is vital to supply the most limiting amino acids (AA), notably Lys and Met for dairy cows consuming corn and soy-based diets, in an intestinally available form. In addition to balancing for these AA it is important to balance Lys and Met in relationship to energy. The aim of the present work was to determine cow performance and health when rumen protected lysine (RPL) and rumen protected methionine (RPM) were fed in the same AA to metabolizable energy (ME) ratio in prepartum diets (1.21g of digestible methionine/Mcal of dietary ME and 3.21g of digestible lysine /Mcal of dietary ME) with different concentrations of net energy of lactation (NEL). Sixty-two multiparous Holstein cows, blocked by parity, previous 305-d mature-equivalent milk production, and body condition score (BCS) during the far-off dry period were assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments. Prepartum (–21 d to expected calving), animals were fed a controlled-energy diet (straw-based diet) with RPL and RPM (CEAA), a controlled-energy diet without RPL and RPM (control; CENAA), or a high-energy diet (corn silage-based diet) with RPL and RPM (HEAA). Postpartum, all cows received the same lactation TMR without RPL and RPM (CENAA) or with RPL and RPM (CEAA and HEAA) until 70 days in milk (DIM). Feeding a high energy diet with RPL and RPM during the prepartum period had a greater effect during wk 1 to 4 of lactation by increased energy corrected milk (ECM) and milk fat yield. Cows in HEAA had lower 3-methyl histidine plasma concentrations as an indication of less mobilized muscle tissue than cows in CEAA. However, HEAA cows tended to have less milk protein percentage and greater BCS loss, potentially indicating more adipose tissue mobilization. Additionally, feeding RPL and RPM during wk 5 to 10 of lactation had a greater effect on performance and lactation production. Feeding RPL and RPM during wk 5 to 10 increased dry matter intake (DMI), energy balance (EBAL), protein percentage, and rumen microbial N usage with less BCS change than not feeding RPL and RPM. In conclusion, feeding RPAA at the same AA to ME ratio in prepartum diets seemed not to be the best approach. The extra concentration of AA in HE diets may have contributed to improved lactation performance at the cost of tissue mobilization.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Animal Sciences

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• O'Meara, Emily S

Contributors dc:contributor

• Cardoso, Phil C
• Drackley, James K
• Hans, Stein

• Methionine
• Lysine
• Transition Period
• Energy Balance
• Metabolizable Energy

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Emily O'Meara

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/122182

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F122182