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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #199222
Title: EFFECT OF ADMINISTRATION OF A CONTROLLED-RELEASE MONENSIN CAPSULE ON INCIDENCE OF CALVING-RELATED DISORDERS, FERTILITY, AND MILK YIELD IN DAIRY COWS

Author
item MELENDEZ, PEDRO - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item Goff, Jesse
item RISCO, CARLOS - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item ARCHBALD, LOUIS - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item LITTELL, RAMON - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item DONOVAN, G - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: American Journal of Veterinary Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2005
Publication Date: 3/20/2006
Citation: Melendez, P., Goff, J.P., Risco, C.A., Archbald, L.F., Littell, R.C., Donovan, G.A. 2006. Effect of administration of a controlled-release monensin capsule on incidence of calving-related disorders, fertility, and milk yield in dairy cows. American Journal of Veterinary Research. 67(3):537-543.

Interpretive Summary: When cows first begin to produce milk the number of calories they can physically consume is rarely equal to the number of calories required to produce the milk. As a result the cows lose body fat and protein stores which depresses the immune system and causes the cows to be susceptible to a variety of other disorders. Monensin is anionophore which can be fed to cattle to improve the amount of glucose obtained during digestion of the diet fed to the cow. A controlled-release capsule of monensin was given to 290 cows on a commercial dairy in the period before calving. An equal number of untreated cows were left as controls. Cows treated with monensin were less likely to develop uterine infection in early lactation as control cows. In older cows, monensin significantly improved milk yield at test days 4 and 7. However there was no effect in cows having their first calf. In addition, monensin increased the amount of body fat carried by the cows at calving. A detrimental effect was that cows receiving monensin were 2.1 times as likely to have trouble delivering a calf. Despite increasing the likelihood of difficult calving, administration of monensin improved the lactational performance of multiparous cows and may be a promising additive for use at the time of cessation of lactation.

Technical Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a controlled-release monensin capsule administered at cessation of lactation on incidence of calving-related disorders, fertility, and milk yield in dairy cows. ANIMALS: 290 dairy cows treated with monensin and 290 untreated control cows. PROCEDURE: Treated cows received a capsule that released monensin at 335 mg/d for 95 days. Incidence of calving-related disorders; daily milk yield up to 20 days postpartum; test-day milk yield, fat, protein, and mature-equivalent 305-day milk production; and body condition score at calving were determined. Reproductive variables were conception rate at first service, pregnancy rate, and calving-to-conception interval. RESULTS: Cows treated with monensin were 2.1 times as likely to develop dystocia and 0.8 times as likely to develop metritis as control cows. For milk yield, there was an interaction of treatment X time X parity. In multiparous cows, monensin significantly improved milk yield at test days 4 and 7. In addition, monensin increased body condition score at calving. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Despite increasing the likelihood of developing dystocia and metritis, administration of monensin improved the lactational performance of multiparous cows and may be a promising additive for use at the time of cessation of lactation.