The Influence of Long-Term Supplementation with Biotin on the Prevention of Lameness in Pasture Fed Dairy Cows
| Autor: | T. Fitzgerald, H. Podlich, O.L. Svendsen, R. Elliott, B. W. Norton |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2000 |
| Předmět: |
Hoof and Claw
Claw Veterinary medicine Animal feed Lameness Animal Rain animal diseases Biotin Cattle Diseases Cell Count Biology Milking Random Allocation Animal science Double-Blind Method Lactation Genetics medicine Animals Dairy cattle food and beverages Milk Proteins Animal Feed Milk medicine.anatomical_structure Lameness Dietary Supplements Herd Cattle Female Animal Science and Zoology Queensland Seasons Somatic cell count Food Science |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Dairy Science. 83:338-344 |
| ISSN: | 0022-0302 |
| DOI: | 10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(00)74884-3 |
| Popis: | In a double-blind study, the influence of biotin supplementation on lameness in dairy cows was investigated over a 13-mo period. The experimental site was a tropical upland environment and involved over 2705 Holstein and Friesian cows on 20 participating farms. Cows on 10 farms received biotin at a rate of 20 mg/head per day in the concentrate, and cows on 10 other farms received feed without the biotin supplement. Premixes with or without biotin were incorporated into a grain concentrate that was fed at a constant rate to cows at milking. Farmers maintained accurate records of the nature of hoof problems and any treatment applied. Each herd was evaluated for locomotion scores at 8-wk intervals. Locomotion scores were significantly correlated with the number of days with measurable rainfall per month (r = 0.88). The biotin-supplemented herds exhibited better locomotion scores than the unsupplemented herds. In the wet summer period the number of lame cows, as observed by the farmer, were significantly fewer during the rainy period for the biotin-supplemented herds and required fewer antibiotic treatments than unsupplemented herds. Most hoof lesions were most commonly observed in the outer claws of the hind limb. Daily milk production (17.3 vs. 18.5 L) was not affected by biotin supplementation. Reduced milk fat percentage and somatic cell counts of bulk milk were recorded in the biotin supplemented herds during the wet, summer period. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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