Abstract
Beta-Carotene concentration in blood serum of cows from herds with impaired fertility
Highlights
Low reproductive efficiency in cows is complex and often multifactorial in its nature and it is an economic burden for the cattle industry
Samples were stored at 6°C until analysis, which was performed within the same or the day. β-carotene concentration was measured in blood serum samples by the photometric method according to Yudkin (1941)
Β-carotene content in blood serum of cows should be above 4.0 mg/L (Jazbec, 1990)
Summary
Low reproductive efficiency in cows is complex and often multifactorial in its nature and it is an economic burden for the cattle industry. The need of vitamins (including β-carotene) is greatest during the transition period, which represents physiological stress for them (Johansson et al, 2014). During transition period and early lactation, a significantly lower concentration of β-carotene in blood of cows was found compared with middle (3-5 months after calving) and end of lactation In grass and grass silage, the content of β-carotene is higher than in hay or corn silage, which is reflected in the content of βcarotene in the milk of cows fed with different voluminous feed (Mogensen et al, 2012). We will present the results of measurements of β-carotene concentration in the blood serum of dairy cows from different farms in Slovenia, where they encountered fertility problems
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