Effects of a parenteral supplement of folic acid and its interaction with level of feed intake on hepatic tissues and growth performance of young dairy heifers.

Forty-seven dairy heifers of approximately 10 d of age were assigned to a factorial experiment in which a supplement of folic acid (0 or 40 mg) administered weekly by i.m. injection and level of feed intake were the two factors studied. The heifers were weaned after 5 wk of experimentation. Following weaning, and until the end of the experiment, 11 wk later, they had ad libitum access to grass hay and concentrates at two different levels, ad libitum or restricted, to allow a body weight gain of 700 g/d. A supplement of folic acid (P less than .05) and ad libitum access to feed (P less than .05) increased the mean concentration of serum folates. Blood hemoglobin and packed cell volume were not affected by the level of feed intake. However, they were both increased (P less than .05) by the supplement of folic acid. Average daily gain was analyzed over three different periods: 0 to 5 wk (before weaning), 5 to 10 wk, and 10 to 16 wk. Average daily gain was increased by the supplement of folic acid during the second period (P less than .05) and by ad libitum access to feed during the last two periods (P less than .05). Ad libitum access to feed increased (P less than .05) weight of the liver, decreased the (P less than .05) concentrations of RNA and DNA, and increased (P less than .05) the ratios of protein/DNA and RNA/DNA. The supplement of folic acid decreased (P less than .05) weight of the liver and increased the ratio RNA/DNA (P less than .05). These effects of supplement of folic acid on growth performance and on hematological cells may reflect a lack of folic acid during the weeks after weaning.