Abstract

The effects of propylene glycol (PG) delivered in the peripartum, on body condition (CC), concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), prevalence of subclinical ketosis (CS), milk production (PL) and open days (DA) were determined in multiparous dairy cows from the tropic of Veracruz. Three weeks before, the cows were randomly selected to receive 250 ml of PG / day (n = 18) or H2O (Control, n = 18) orally and continued with the treatment until the third week postpartum. The CC was measured every week and milk daily. Starting the week of delivery, a milk sample was taken weekly for 4 weeks to determine BHBA and prevalence of CS (BHBA ≥ 200μmol / l). The statistical analysis was performed using STATISTICA 7. The PG cows maintained better (P˂0.05) CC at the fourth postpartum week (3.21 ± 0.18) than the control cows (2.7 ± 0.18). PG cows had lower (P˂0.05) CS prevalence and BHBA concentrations (0% and 51.6 ± 41.0 μmol/l) than control cows (64% and 214.5 ± 41.6 μmol/l, respectively). The PG cows produced 933.2 more liters of milk / lactation. The DAs were similar (P = 0.10) in both groups. Concluding that the treatment with peripartum PG increased the milk production, decreased the concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate and the prevalence of CS, maintained better the CC, but did not reduce the DA.

Authors and Affiliations