Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T17:25:21.872Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of season on the composition of the blood of lactating and non-lactating cows as revealed from repeated metabolic profile tests on 24 dairy herds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. J. Rowlands ,
W. Little ,
R. Manston  and
Sally M. Dew
G. J. Rowlands
Affiliation:
A.R.G. Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Nr. Newbury, Berkshire
W. Little
Affiliation:
A.R.G. Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Nr. Newbury, Berkshire
R. Manston
Affiliation:
A.R.G. Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Nr. Newbury, Berkshire
Sally M. Dew
Affiliation:
A.R.G. Institute for Research on Animal Diseases, Compton, Nr. Newbury, Berkshire
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Blood samples were taken from groups of lactating and non-lactating cows on three occasions from each of 24 commercial dairy herds sampled eight herds at a time at 6-weekly intervals throughout 1972. The blood samples were analysed for packed cell volume, blood glucose and haemoglobin, and for the serum concentrations of albumin, total protein, urea nitrogen, Ca, inorganic phosphate, Mg, K, Na, Cu, and Fe.

Clear seasonal patterns were evident for packed cell volume and the mean concentrations of urea nitrogen and haemoglobin each of which were highest during the summer months. The effect of season on the concentrations of the other constituents was smaller. Mean values of packed cell volume, haemoglobin and Fe were consistently higher in the non-lactating cows than in the lactating cows. Mean concentrations of Mg were lower in the blood of non-lactating cows throughout the year; Cu concentrations followed a similar trend in the autumn and winter.

There was evidence of overall herd differences regardless of season, in particular for Cu, globulin, Fe and urea nitrogen concentrations.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 83 , Issue 1 , August 1974 , pp. 27 - 35
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1974

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Gitelman, H. J. (1967). An improved automated procedure for the determination of calcium in biological specimens. Analytical Biochemistry 18, 521–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenhalgh, J. F. D., Aitken, J. M. & Gunn, J. B. (1972). Kale anaemia. III. A survey of kale feeding practices and anaemia in cattle on dairy farms in England and Scotland. Research in Veterinary Science 13, 15–21.Google Scholar
Ichida, R. & Nobuoka, M. (1969). Determination of serum copper with atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Clinica Chimica Ada 24, 299–303.Google ScholarPubMed
Manston, R. & Rowlands, G. J. (1973). Analytical variation in metabolic profile testing. Journal of Dairy Research 40, 85–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Payne, J. M. (1972). The Compton Metabolic Profile Test. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine 65, 181–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Payne, J. M., Dew, S. M., Manston, R. & Faulks, M. (1970). The use of a metabolic profile test in dairy herds. Veterinary Record 87, 150–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Payne, J. M., Rowlands, G. J., Manston, R. & Dew, S. M. (1973). A statistical appraisal of the results of metabolic profile tests on 75 dairy herds. British Veterinary Journal 129, 370–81.Google Scholar
Payne, J. M., Rowlands, G. J., Manston, R., Dew, S. M. & Parker, W. H. (1974). A statistical appraisal of the results of the metabolic profile tests on 191 herds in the B.V.A./A.D.A.S. joint exercise in animal health and productivity. British Veterinary Journal 130, 34–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rowlands, G. J. & Pocock, R. M. (1971). A use of the computer as an aid in diagnosis of metabolic problems of dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Research 38, 353–62.Google Scholar
Sykes, A. R. & Field, A. C. (1973). Effects of dietary deficiencies of energy, protein and calcium on the pregnant ewe. IV. Serum total protein, albumin, globulin, transferrin and plasma urea levels. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 80, 29–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wegner, W., Feder, H., Sponer, G. & Sabo, K. (1970). Zum Hümoglobin- and Transferrinsystem und zur Konzentration einiger Mineralien im Blut einer Kuhpopulation. Zentralblatt für Veterinärmedizin 17a, 874–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitlock, R. H., Little, W. & Rowlands, G. J. (1974). The incidence of anaemia in dairy cows in relation to season, milk yield and age. Research in Veterinary Science. (In press.)Google Scholar
Yates, F. (1934). The analysis of multiple classifications with unequal numbers in the different classes. Journal of the American Statistical Association 29, 51–66.Google Scholar