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Immunological effects of altering the concentrate inclusion level in a grass silage-based diet for early lactation Holstein Friesian cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2018

M. W. Little Open the ORCID record for M. W. Little [Opens in a new window] ,
A. R. G. Wylie ,
N. E. O’Connell ,
M. D. Welsh ,
C. Grelet ,
M. J. Bell ,
A. Gordon  and
C. P. Ferris
M. W. Little*
Affiliation:
Sustainable Agri-Food Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Large Park, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queens University Belfast, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5BN, UK
A. R. G. Wylie
Affiliation:
Sustainable Agri-Food Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Large Park, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK
N. E. O’Connell
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queens University Belfast, 18-30 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5BN, UK
M. D. Welsh
Affiliation:
Veterinary Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Stoney Road, Belfast BT4 3SD, UK
C. Grelet
Affiliation:
Valorisation of Agricultural Products Department, Walloon Agricultural Research Center, 24 Chaussée de Namur, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
M. J. Bell
Affiliation:
School of Biosciences, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington LE12 5RD, UK
A. Gordon
Affiliation:
Statistical Services Branch, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, 18a Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK
C. P. Ferris
Affiliation:
Sustainable Agri-Food Sciences Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Large Park, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK
*
†E-mail: mark.little@me.com
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Abstract

Concentrate inclusion levels in dairy cow diets are often adjusted so that the milk yield responses remain economic. While changes in concentrate level on performance is well known, their impact on other biological parameters, including immune function, is less well understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of concentrate inclusion level in a grass silage-based mixed ration on immune function. Following calving 63 (45 multiparous and 18 primiparous) Holstein Friesian dairy cows were allocated to one of three isonitrogenous diets for the first 70 days of lactation. Diets comprised of a mixture of concentrates and grass silage, with concentrates comprising either a low (30%, LC), medium (50%, MC) or high (70%, HC) proportion of the diet on a dry matter (DM) basis. Daily DM intakes, milk yields and BW were recorded, along with weekly body condition score, milk composition and vaginal mucus scores. Blood biochemistry was measured using a chemistry analyzer, neutrophil phagocytic and oxidative burst assessed using commercial kits and flow cytometry, and interferon-γ production evaluated by ELISA after whole blood stimulation. Over the study period cows on HC had a higher total DM intake, milk yield, fat yield, protein yield, fat+protein yield, protein content, mean BW and mean daily energy balance, and a lower BW loss than cows on MC, whose respective values were higher than cows on LC. Cows on HC and MC had a lower serum non-esterified fatty acid concentration than cows on LC (0.37, 0.37 and 0.50 mmol/l, respectively, P=0.005, SED=0.032), while cows on HC had a lower serum β-hydroxybutyrate concentration than cows on MC and LC (0.42, 0.55 and 0.55 mmol/l, respectively, P=0.002, SED=0.03). Concentrate inclusion level had no effect on vaginal mucus scores. At week 3 postpartum, cows on HC tended to have a higher percentage of oxidative burst positive neutrophils than cows on LC (43.2% and 35.3%, respectively, P=0.078, SED=3.11), although at all other times concentrate inclusion level in the total mixed ration had no effect on neutrophil phagocytic or oxidative burst characteristics, or on interferon-γ production by pokeweed mitogen stimulated whole blood culture. This study demonstrates that for high yielding Holstein Friesian cows managed on a grass silage-based diet, concentrate inclusion levels in early lactation affects performance but has no effect on neutrophil or lymphocyte immune parameters.

Keywords

dairy cowsconcentrate levelimmune functionneutrophilsinterferon-γ
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , April 2019 , pp. 799 - 809
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2018 

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