4-Title: Study of DCAD in pre-partum dairy cows vis-à-vis incidence of milk fever in organized and unorganized dairy cattle farms

Authors: Arindam Bhowmik, Gunjan Das, SK Behera, Kalyan Sarma, H Prasad, GE Chethan, AK Samanta and Bikash Debnath

Source: Ruminant Science (2022)-11(2):275-282.

How to cite this manuscript: Bhowmik Arindam, Das Gunjan, Behera SK, Sarma Kalyan, Prasad H, Chethan GE, Samanta AK and Debnath Bikash (2022). Study of DCAD in pre-partum dairy cows vis-à-vis incidence of milk fever in organized and unorganized dairy cattle farms. Ruminant Science 11(2):275-282.

Abstract

This study was conducted to know the Dietary Cation Anion Difference (DCAD) in prepartum dairy cows in relation to the incidence of milk fever in organized and unorganized farms. During the study period, it was observed that the average DCAD concentration and incidence of milk fever in unorganized farms (+22.51 mEq/100gm of DM and 22.22%-24/108) was higher than in organized farms (+8.12 mEq/100gm of DM & 5.56%-1/18). Overall incidence of milk fever during the study period was 19.84% (25/126). In the case of breed-wise incidence, milk fever incidence was higher in Jersey cows (18/25) than in HF Crossbred cows (7/25). In this study, milk fever incidence increased with age and took a downward trend from 8 years of age onwards. Higher incidence of milk fever was reported within 3rd to 7th lactation. The incidence of milk fever was found to be higher with BCS. There was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in Hb and PCV along with lymphopenia, eosinopenia and neutrophilia in milk fever positive cows. As regards to biochemical parameters, there was a significant change observed in the value of total protein, cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, phosphorus, chloride and sulphate in milk fever positive cows. Significant increase was recorded in the concentration of magnesium and sodium in milk positive cows.

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