The association between time-series milk β-hydroxybutyrate dynamics and early reproductive performance of dairy cows

W Chin; W Steeneveld; M Nielen; J Christensen; I C Klaas; T J G M Lam

doi:10.3168/jds.2023-24184

The association between time-series milk β-hydroxybutyrate dynamics and early reproductive performance of dairy cows

W Chin, W Steeneveld^*, M Nielen, J Christensen, I C Klaas, T J G M Lam

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The DeLaval Herd Navigator is an on-farm sensor system that measures on a frequent basis milk progesterone (P4) and BHB in individual cows to closely monitor reproductive performance and energy balance. This information provides the opportunity to investigate the dynamics of BHB measured in milk (mBHB) and study the association between mBHB and early reproductive performance. The objectives of the study were (1) to describe mBHB dynamics within the first 20 DIM, and (2) to evaluate the association between mBHB dynamics and early reproductive performance at cow level. Two-year time-series data from 4,133 dairy cows in 38 Dutch dairy farms were available for analysis. Data included information on mBHB, daily milk yield, and the indicators of early reproductive performance, days from calving to resumption of cyclicity, days from calving to first estrus, and days from calving to first insemination. The following mBHB dynamic parameters were defined based on the first 20 DIM for each individual cow: average mBHB (AvgBHB), DIM when mBHB was for the first time ≥80 μmol/L (OnsetKeto), the total number of consecutive days a cow had mBHB concentration ≥80 μmol/L, and the number of measurements mBHB concentration was ≥80 μmol/L. Three Cox proportional hazard regression models with random herd effect were developed to evaluate the association between cow-level mBHB dynamics and days from calving to resumption of cyclicity, first estrus, and first insemination. Results showed that the mean AvgBHB within 20 DIM among all cows was 73 μmol/L. The mean OnsetKeto within 20 DIM, was 8 DIM. Among all cows having hyperketolactia, 55.8% (1,350/2,419) had OnsetKeto in the first week of lactation. In total, 41.5% (1,714/4,133) of the cows did not have OnsetKeto in the first 20 DIM. An early onset of hyperketolactia was associated with delayed fertility events. Cows with higher AvgBHB have a prolonged time interval from calving to resumption of cyclicity and first estrus. Information on mBHB dynamics and the association with early reproductive performance provides insights that might be helpful to improve reproductive performance of individual dairy cows.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	6025-6034
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Dairy Science
Volume	107
Issue number	8
Early online date	28 Mar 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-24184
Publication status	Published - Aug 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Dairy Science Association

Funding

The authors acknowledge DeLaval (DeLaval Inc. Tumba, Sweden) for providing the HN data. The help of Hans Vernooij (Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands) with the statistical analysis is greatly appreciated. No human or animal subjects were used, so this analysis did not require approval by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee or Institutional Review Board. J. Christensen is employed by Lattec I/S. I. C. Klaas is employed by Delaval International AB. The authors have not stated any other conflicts of interest. Nonstandard abbreviations used: AMS = automatic milking system; AvgBHB = average milk BHB; AvgBHBGrp = AvgBHB categorized into 5 groups: 30 to 54 \u03BCmol/L; 55 to 60 \u03BCmol/L; 61 to 72 \u03BCmol/L; 73 to 79 \u03BCmol/L; \u226580 \u03BCmol/L; AvgMY = average milk yield (kg) per day; AvgMY60 = average milk yield in DIM 4\u201360; CumMY = cumulative milk yield; CumMY60 = cumulative milk yield in DIM 4\u201360; DaysToCycl = days from calving to resumption of cyclicity; DaysToFirstEstrus = days from calving to first estrus; DaysToFirstIn = the interval from calving to day of first insemination; DIM_PeakMY = DIM when milk yield reached the peak; FP/LP shift = the shift from the follicular to the luteal phase; HN = Herd Navigator; KetoDur = total number of consecutive days a cow had mBHB concentrations \u226580 \u03BCmol/L; mBHB = milk BHB; NEB = negative energy balance; nKeto = number of measurements mBHB concentrations was \u226580 \u03BCmol/L; OnsetKeto = DIM when mBHB was for the first time \u226580 \u03BCmol/L; OnsetKetoGrp = OnsetKeto categorized into 2 groups: OnsetKeto within 6 DIM and no OnsetKeto within 6 DIM; PeakMY = maximum milk yield (kg) per day; PH = proportional hazards.

Funders	Funder number
DeLaval Inc

Keywords

automated monitoring
energy balance
fertility
hyperketolactia
metabolic health

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PIIS0022030224006295Final published version, 1.27 MBLicence: CC BY

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title = "The association between time-series milk β-hydroxybutyrate dynamics and early reproductive performance of dairy cows",

abstract = "The DeLaval Herd Navigator is an on-farm sensor system that measures on a frequent basis milk progesterone (P4) and BHB in individual cows to closely monitor reproductive performance and energy balance. This information provides the opportunity to investigate the dynamics of BHB measured in milk (mBHB) and study the association between mBHB and early reproductive performance. The objectives of the study were (1) to describe mBHB dynamics within the first 20 DIM, and (2) to evaluate the association between mBHB dynamics and early reproductive performance at cow level. Two-year time-series data from 4,133 dairy cows in 38 Dutch dairy farms were available for analysis. Data included information on mBHB, daily milk yield, and the indicators of early reproductive performance, days from calving to resumption of cyclicity, days from calving to first estrus, and days from calving to first insemination. The following mBHB dynamic parameters were defined based on the first 20 DIM for each individual cow: average mBHB (AvgBHB), DIM when mBHB was for the first time ≥80 μmol/L (OnsetKeto), the total number of consecutive days a cow had mBHB concentration ≥80 μmol/L, and the number of measurements mBHB concentration was ≥80 μmol/L. Three Cox proportional hazard regression models with random herd effect were developed to evaluate the association between cow-level mBHB dynamics and days from calving to resumption of cyclicity, first estrus, and first insemination. Results showed that the mean AvgBHB within 20 DIM among all cows was 73 μmol/L. The mean OnsetKeto within 20 DIM, was 8 DIM. Among all cows having hyperketolactia, 55.8% (1,350/2,419) had OnsetKeto in the first week of lactation. In total, 41.5% (1,714/4,133) of the cows did not have OnsetKeto in the first 20 DIM. An early onset of hyperketolactia was associated with delayed fertility events. Cows with higher AvgBHB have a prolonged time interval from calving to resumption of cyclicity and first estrus. Information on mBHB dynamics and the association with early reproductive performance provides insights that might be helpful to improve reproductive performance of individual dairy cows.",

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author = "W Chin and W Steeneveld and M Nielen and J Christensen and Klaas, {I C} and Lam, {T J G M}",

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The association between time-series milk β-hydroxybutyrate dynamics and early reproductive performance of dairy cows

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

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