[Metabolic monitoring on small and medium sized dairy farms in Emsland, Germany].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate metabolic analyses on small dairy farms regarding indications, realization, and results over 5 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 793 serum samples (122 submissions from 53 farms) originating from cows of different lactation stages and from heifers, the parameters free fatty acids (FFA), β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), cholesterol, urea, creatinine, glucose, total protein, albumin, bilirubin, liver enzymes, creatine kinase (CK), β-carotene, electrolytes and trace elements were analyzed.

RESULTS: In 20% of cases, investigations were initiated to control for the metabolic status. Further reasons for laboratory diagnostics were consistent with the culling causes. FFA with 56.7% displayed the most frequent deviations from the normal range during the lactation ante partum. At 8 weeks post partum (p. p.) it fell to 36-38% and later to < 11%. The BHB deviations from the normal range exceeded 68% throughout the whole lactation. During the middle and late lactation, 40-50% of the measured urea concentrations were above the upper reference limit. Hypocalcemia occurred during the first week p. p. to 13.2% and hypophosphatemia to 6.6%. For CK, deviations from the reference value of 60.4-90.0% were determined. Selenium and copper deficiencies were present in approximately 15% of cases. Heifers more frequently displayed a copper deficiency (21.3%) than cows. β-carotene deficiency was measured ante partum at 50% and p. p. at 47.1-77.8%. Adverse deviations increased between 2006 and 2011 for FFS, urea, β-carotene, and selenium in correlation with a reduction in the milk price between 2009 and 2010. Deviations from the normal range for BHB, CK, cholesterol, calcium, and inorganic phosphate remained constant. On 80% of the farms, the metabolic status improved during the investigation period.

CONCLUSION: Even on smaller farms, peripartal metabolic screenings enable early discovery of causes of the most common culling reasons and provide options for corrective action.