Abstract
This research paper addresses the hypothesis that an oral supplementation with organically modified clinoptilolite will improve colostrum quality in primiparous dairy cows whilst having no adverse effects on the cows' health. A total of 36 pregnant Holstein primiparous dairy cattle were randomly assigned to receive daily oral drenching, two hours following morning feeding, with 1 l of water containing either 0 g/l (n = 16) or 150 g/l (n = 20) of clinoptilolite. Treatment lasted from 24 ± 4 d prior to expected parturition until two days postpartum (pp). Colostrum was collected at 2 to 3 h, 12, 24 and 36 h pp and blood samples were collected at 24 ± 4 and 4 ± 2 d prior to parturition and 1, 2 and 7 d pp. Overall mean dry matter, fat and total protein percentage as well as IgG concentration and mass were significantly greater in colostrum collected from cattle drenched with clinoptilolite (total protein increased by 15% and IgG concentration and mass by 21 and 38% respectively at first sampling and further at second sampling). Total γ globulin and most other blood serum biochemistry parameters did not differ between cattle treated and not treated with clinoptilolite, the only exception being the fast anionic γ globulin fraction that was 17% greater at 4 ± 2 d prior to parturition and 10% lower on the 1st day pp in treated cattle. These results showed that organically modified oral clinoptilolite supplementation at 150 g/d significantly increases the IgG concentration in colostrum and has no adverse effects on the energy status, protein, lipid, and mineral metabolism in primiparous dairy cattle during prepartum period.
Highlights
The intake of an adequate amount of good quality colostrum within two hours after birth is of utmost importance for the health and survival of newborn calves (Weaver et al, 2000)
Starting from the aforementioned positive effects of clinoptilolite on cows’ health and production, and its role as a reservoir of ammonium which increases the availability of nitrogen in the rumen (White and Ohlrogge, 1974) and favours the rumen microbe protein synthesis (Hartinger et al, 2018), we hypothesized that an oral supplementation of cows with clinoptilolite, in the period of colostrogenesis, might improve the quality of colostrum, without showing any adverse effect on the cows’ health
This study has investigated the effects of the supplementation of primiparous dairy cows with organically modified clinoptilolite (EP Patent No 1363854A1 and B1; Milosevic and TomasevicCanovic, 2003, 2009) in the period from 24 ± 4 d before the expected parturition to two days after calving on colostrum quality parameters
Summary
The intake of an adequate amount of good quality colostrum within two hours after birth is of utmost importance for the health and survival of newborn calves (Weaver et al, 2000). The complex multilayer structure of the bovine placenta (syndesmochorial) effectively prevents transfer of large molecules between dam and foetus, and bovine calves are born agammaglobulinemic (Weaver et al, 2000) or might have only traces of immunoglobulin G (IgG) in their blood (Chigerwe et al, 2008). This makes newly born calves totally dependent on passive immune protection provided by the intestinal absorption of colostral immunoglobulin during the first hours of life (Weaver et al, 2000). The effect of the supplementation on the energy status, protein, lipid, and mineral metabolism of these cows was assessed by the analysis of biochemistry parameters of their peripheral blood serum
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