Abstract

Various nutritional tools have been used to improve the productive and reproductive performance of animals, among which difference between certain minerals, called dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) plays a pivotal role. Low or negative DCAD diets reduce blood pH and HCO3- and animal becomes acidotic. This improves Ca absorption from the intestinal tract. It also induces mobilization of Ca from bones which improves Ca status of the animal, thus preventing the occurrence of milk fever at the time of parturition. This may increase milk production and health in subsequent lactation. However, animals fed high DCAD diets before parturition may suffer from milk fever. Milk fever affected animals have increased plasma cortisol level that causes immunosuppression at calving. It is also positively associated with other problems like retained placenta, mastitis and udder edema. On the other hand, feeding high DCAD diet results in increased ruminal pH which is pre-requisite for optimal microbial activity as well as improving the feed intake of the animal. Improved dry matter intake (DMI) is positively correlated with milk yield by providing precursors for various milk constituents. High DCAD diet results in increased milk fat percent due to shifting of ruminal volatile fatty acid production towards acetic acid and butyric acid. It also improves energy balance of the animal which causes increased blood flow towards ovaries and increased progesterone synthesis and follicular development due to positive association between energy balance and postpartum ovulation, which leads to improved reproductive performance of the animal. While feeding low DCAD diet reduces feed intake which causes negative energy balance in early lactating animals that lessens conception rate and increases services per conception. In conclusion, feeding low DCAD diets prepartum prevents the occurrence of milk fever via improving Ca status while feeding high DCAD diets results in improved productive and reproductive performance in lactating animals. Key words: Feed intake, milk yield, reproductive performance, hypocalcaemia, dietary cation anion difference.

Highlights

  • Formulation of a ration according to physiological stage of animals plays a pivotal role in optimizing their productive and reproductive performance

  • Alkaline nature of high dietary cation anion difference (DCAD) diet or sodium bicarbonate feeding may be used as a nutritional tool to enhance rumen ecology aimed to utilize nutrients more efficiently, its response in terms of nutrients utilization depends on the nature of diet, rumen dynamics and productive potential, etc

  • It has been observed that plasma Ca concentration was higher in prepartum cows fed low DCAD diet compared to those fed high DCAD diet (Tucker et al, 1992)

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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Formulation of a ration according to physiological stage of animals plays a pivotal role in optimizing their productive and reproductive performance. Reduced feed intake during this period may lead to negative energy balance which affects animal productive and reproductive performance (Stevenson and Britt, 1980; Butler et al, 1981). Concentrate feeding is practiced to meet the nutrient requirement which decreases ruminal pH due to increased volatile fatty acids (VFA) production. It depresses biosynthetic activities in mammary glands aimed to synthesize milk fat due to decreased acetate: propionate (Doreau et al, 1999; Bauman and Griinari, 2003). Dishington (1975) and Mongin (1981) were the first who used the concept of DCAD in livestock and poultry, respectively Since it has been used in prepartum and postpartum animals due to its beneficial effect.

The equations below are mainly used to calculate DCAD
NUTRIENT INTAKE
NUTRIENT DIGESTION
BLOOD ACID BASE STATUS
BLOOD MINERALS
MINERAL BALANCE
NITROGEN BALANCE
ENERGY BALANCE
URINE pH
RESPIRATORY RATE
MILK FEVER
Urine pH
MILK YIELD AND COMPOSITION
At low DCAD At high DCAD
OVARIAN ACTIVITY AND HORMONAL PROFILE
MASTITIS AND UDDER EDEMA
Findings
CONCLUSION AND PERSPECTIVE
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