Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T11:29:55.220Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of summer conditions and shade on the production and metabolism of Holstein dairy cows on pasture in temperate climate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2015

E. Van laer ,
F. A. M. Tuyttens ,
B. Ampe ,
B. Sonck ,
C. P. H. Moons  and
L. Vandaele
E. Van laer
Affiliation:
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium
F. A. M. Tuyttens*
Affiliation:
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
B. Ampe
Affiliation:
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium
B. Sonck
Affiliation:
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium
C. P. H. Moons
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
L. Vandaele
Affiliation:
Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Animal Sciences Unit, Scheldeweg 68, 9090 Melle, Belgium
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

For dairy cattle on pasture in temperate regions, it is largely unknown to what degree hot summer conditions impact energy metabolism, milk yield and milk composition and how effective shade is in reducing these negative effects. During the summer of 2012, a herd of Holstein cows was kept on pasture without access to shade (treatment NS). During the summers of 2011 and 2013, the herd was divided into a group with (treatment S) and a group without (treatment NS) access to shade. Shade was provided by young trees combined with shade cloths (80% reduction in solar radiation). A weather station registered the local climatic conditions on open pasture, from which we calculated daily average Heat Load Index (HLI) values. The effects of HLI and shade on rectal temperature (RT), blood plasma indicators of hyperventilation and metabolic changes due to heat stress, milk yield and milk composition were investigated. RT increased with increasing HLI, but was less for S cows than for NS cows (by 0.02°C and 0.03°C increase per unit increase of HLI, respectively). Hyperchloraemia (an increased blood plasma concentration of Cl−), a sign of hyperventilation, increased for NS cows but not for S cows. The plasma concentration of alkaline phosphatase, a regulator of energy metabolism in the liver, decreased with increasing HLI for NS cows only. Access to shade, thus, reduced the effect of HLI on RT, hyperchloraemia and the regulation of metabolism by the liver. As HLI increased, the plasma concentration of cholesterol decreased (indicating increased lipolysis) and the plasma concentration of creatinine increased (indicating increased protein catabolism). These effects did not differ between S and NS cows. For NS cows, after a lag-time of 2 days, the milk yield decreased with increasing HLI. For S cows, the milk yield was unaffected by HLI and its quadratic factor. The milk concentrations of lactose, protein and fat decreased as HLI increased, but only the effect on milk protein content was remediated by shade. In conclusion, access to shade tempered the negative effects of high HLI on RT, hyperchloraemia and a blood plasma indicator of changing energy metabolism (generally) as well as prevented the decrease in milk yield observed in cows without access to shade.

Keywords

heat stressdairy cattletemperate climatemilkmetabolism
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 9 , Issue 9 , September 2015 , pp. 1547 - 1558
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abeni, F, Calamari, L and Stefanini, L 2007. Metabolic conditions of lactating Friesian cows during the hot season in the Po valley. 1. Blood indicators of heat stress. International Journal of Biometeorology 52, 87–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Adediran, SA, Ratkowsky, DA, Donaghy, DJ and Malau-Aduli, AEO 2012. Comparative evaluation of a new lactation curve model for pasture-based Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 95, 5344–5356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Afzaal, D, Nisa, M, Khan, MA and Sarwar, M 2004. A Review on acid base status in dairy cows: implications of dietary cation-anion balance. Pakistan Veterinary Journal 24, 199–202.Google Scholar
Armstrong, DV 1994. Heat stress interaction with shade and cooling. Journal of Dairy Science 77, 2044–2050.Google Scholar
Bernabucci, U, Lacetera, N, Baumgard, LH, Rhoads, RP, Ronchi, B and Nardone, A 2010. Metabolic and hormonal acclimation to heat stress in domesticated ruminants. Animal 4, 1167–1183.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blackshaw, JK and Blackshaw, AW 1994. Heat stress in cattle and the effect of shade on production and behaviour: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 34, 285–295.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brügemann, K, Gernand, E, von Borstel, UU and König, S 2011. Genetic analyses of protein yield in dairy cows applying random regression models with time-dependent and temperature x humidity-dependent covariates. Journal of Dairy Science 94, 4129–4139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calamari, L, Abeni, F, Calegari, F and Stefanini, L 2007. Metabolic conditions of lactating Friesian cows during the hot season in the Po valley. 2. Blood minerals and acid-base chemistry. International Journal of Biometeorology 52, 97–107.Google Scholar
Collier, RJ, Doelger, SG, Head, HH, Thatcher, WW and Wilcox, CJ 1982. Effects of heat stress during pregnancy on maternal hormone concentrations, calf birth weight and postpartum milk yield of Holstein cows. Journal of Animal Science 54, 309–319.Google Scholar
Davison, TM, Silver, BA, Lisle, AT and Orr, WN 1988. The influence of shade on milk production of Holstein-Friesian cows in a tropical upland environment. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 28, 149–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallardo, MR, Valtorta, SE, Leva, PE, Gaggiotti, MC, Conti, GA and Gregoret, RF 2005. Diet and cooling interactions on physiological responses of grazing dairy cows, milk production and composition. International Journal of Biometeorology 50, 90–95.Google Scholar
Gantner, V, Mijiç, P, Jovanovac, S, Raguz, N, Bobiç, T and Kuterovac, K 2012. Influence of temperature-humidity index (THI) on daily production of dairy cows in Mediterranean region in Croatia. In Animal farming and environmental interactions in the Mediterranean region (ed. I Casasus, J Rogosiç, A Rosati, I Stokoviç and D Gabina), pp. 71–78. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Nertherlands.Google Scholar
Gaughan, JB, Mader, TL, Holt, SM and Lisle, A 2008. A new heat load index for feedlot cattle. Journal of Animal Science 86, 226–234.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hahn, GL, Mader, TL and Eigenberg, RA 2003. Perspective on development of thermal indices for animal studies and management. In Interactions between climate and animal production (EAAP Technical Serie No.7, ed. N Lacetera, U Bernabucci, HH Khalifa, B Ronchi and A Nardone), pp. 31–44. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, The Nertherlands.Google Scholar
Hammami, H, Bormann, J, M’hamdi, N, Montaldo, HH and Gengler, N 2013. Evaluation of heat stress effects on production traits and somatic cell score of Holsteins in a temperate environment. Journal of Dairy Science 96, 1844–1855.Google Scholar
Ingraham, RH 1979. Seasonal effects of tropical climate on shaded and nonshaded cows as measured by rectal temperature, adrenal cortex hormones, thyroid hormone, and milk production. American Journal of Veterinary Research 40, 1792–1797.Google ScholarPubMed
Kadzere, CT, Murphy, MR, Silanikove, N and Maltz, E 2002. Heat stress in lactating dairy cows: a review. Livestock Production Science 77, 59–91.Google Scholar
Kendall, PE, Nielsen, PP, Webster, JR, Verkerk, GA, Littlejohn, RP and Matthews, LR 2006. The effects of providing shade to lactating dairy cows in a temperate climate. Livestock Science 103, 148–157.Google Scholar
LEI 2012. Evaluation of CAP measures applied to the dairy sector. Final report. Date of publication: 26 March. LEI, part of Wageningen-UR, The Hague, The Netherlands, pp. 160.Google Scholar
Muller, CJC, Botha, JA and Smith, WA 1994b. Effect of shade on various parameters of Friesian cows in a mediterranean climate in South-Africa.1. Feed and water-intake, milk-production and milk-composition. South African Journal of Animal Science 24, 49–55.Google Scholar
Muller, CJC, Botha, JA, Coetzer, WA and Smith, WA 1994a. Effect of shade on various parameters of Friesian cows in a mediterranean climate in South-Africa. 2. Physiological-responses. South African Journal of Animal Science 24, 56–60.Google Scholar
Schneider, PL, Beede, DK and Wilcox, CJ 1988. Nycterohemeral patterns of acid-base status, mineral concentrations and digestive function of lactating cows in natural or chamber heat stress environments. Journal of Animal Science 66, 112–125.Google Scholar
Schutz, KE, Cox, NR and Tucker, CB 2014. A field study of the behavioral and physiological effects of varying amounts of shade for lactating cows at pasture. Journal of Dairy Science 97, 3599–3605.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schutz, KE, Clark, KV, Cox, NR, Matthews, LR and Tucker, CB 2010. Responses to short-term exposure to simulated rain and wind by dairy cattle: time budgets, shelter use, body temperature and feed intake. Animal Welfare 19, 375–383.Google Scholar
Shwartz, G, Rhoads, ML, VanBaale, MJ, Rhoads, RP and Baumgard, LH 2009. Effects of a supplemental yeast culture on heat-stressed lactating Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 92, 935–942.Google Scholar
Silanikove, N 2000. Effects of heat stress on the welfare of extensively managed domestic ruminants. Livestock Production Science 67, 1–18.Google Scholar
Smith, BP 2009. Large animal internal medicine, 4th edition. Elsevier, St Louis, MO, USA. pp. 398 and 403.Google Scholar
Thom, EC 1959. The discomfort index. Weatherwise 12, 57–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toharmat, T and Kume, S 1997. Effect of heat stress on minerals concentration in blood and colostrum of heifers around parturition. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 10, 298–303.Google Scholar
Tucker, CB, Rogers, AR and Schütz, KE 2008. Effect of solar radiation on dairy cattle behaviour, use of shade and body temperature in a pasture-based system. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 109, 141–154.Google Scholar
Valtorta, SE, Leva, PE and Gallardo, MR 1997. Evaluation of different shades to improve dairy cattle well-being in Argentina. International Journal of Biometeorology 41, 65–67.Google Scholar
van den Pol-van Dasselaar, A 2005. Grazing on the move. PrakrijkRapport Rundvee 81. Animal Sciences Group – Wageningen UR, Lelystad, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Van laer, E, CPH, Moons, Sonck, B and Tuyttens, FAM 2014. Importance of outdoor shelter for cattle in temperate climates. Livestock Science 159, 87–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van laer, E, Moons, CPH, Ampe, B, Sonck, B, Vandaele, L, De Campeneere, S and Tuyttens, FAM 2015. Effect of summer conditions and shade on behavioural indicators of thermal discomfort in Holstein dairy and Belgian Blue beef cattle on pasture. Animal, doi:10.1017/S1751731115000804.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Welper, RD and Freeman, AE 1992. Genetic parameters for yield traits of Holsteins, including lactose and somatic cell score. Journal of Dairy Science 75, 1342–1348.Google Scholar
West, JW 2003. Effects of heat-stress on production in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 2131–2144.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zimbelman, RB, Rhoads, RP, Rhoads, ML, Duff, GC, Baumgard, LH and Collier, RJ 2009. A re-evaluation of the impact of temperature humidity index (THI) and black globe humidity index (BGHI) on milk production in high producing dairy cows. In Proceedings of the Southwest Nutrition Conference (ed. RJ Collier), pp. 158–169. Arizona, USA.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Van laer supplementary material

Figure S1

Download Van laer supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 91.4 KB
Supplementary material: File

Van laer supplementary material

Van laer supplementary material 1

Download Van laer supplementary material(File)
File 62.5 KB