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The influence of an increased cobalt supply to dairy cows on the vitamin B 12 status of their calves
Author(s) -
Stemme K.,
Meyer U.,
Flachowsky G.,
Scholz H.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1439-0396
pISSN - 0931-2439
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0396.2005.00584.x
Subject(s) - colostrum , zoology , lactation , silage , chemistry , dairy cattle , vitamin , cobalt , ingestion , food science , biology , pregnancy , biochemistry , antibody , immunology , inorganic chemistry , genetics
Summary In the experiment the influence of an elevated oral cobalt supply (Co content in the ration 0.27 mg Co/kg DM; supplement of 0.14 mg Co/kg DM as CoSO 4 ) to pregnant dairy cows on the vitamin B 12 concentration in milk, colostrum and vitamin B 12 status of their calves was tested in comparison with unsupplemented controls (0.13 mg Co/kg DM). While there was no significant difference in vitamin B 12 concentration in the at 70th day of lactation (start of the experiment; 3.77 ± 1.41 vs. 3.66 ± 1.03 ng/ml) and 290th day of lactation (almost drying off; 4.75 ± 3.05 vs. 4.44 ± 0.96 ng/ml), cobalamin concentration in the milk colostrum showed a tendency towards a higher cobalt content in the ration of the supplemented cows in comparison with the controls (21.0 ± 8.4 vs. 16.7 ± 11.9 ng/ml). Differences in the vitamin B 12 concentration in the serum of the newborn calves before and after ingestion of colostrum were not detected. From these results it can be concluded that cobalt content of 0.13 mg Co/kg DM in the ration based on wilted grass silage seems to be sufficient for pregnant dairy cows.