POSTER PRESENTATIONS Animal Health: Probiotics and Diet

Improving cow’s reproductive health during the transition period might be beneficial for the health status of newborn calves. We recently developed an intravaginal probiotic treatment to prevent uterine infections in dairy cows. This study sought to evaluate the effects of probiotic treatment of dairy cows on selected plasma variables and the incidence of diarrhea in newborn calves. Nineteen dairy calves coming from control (CTR; n = 10) or cows administered intravaginally with a probiotic culture (PRO; n = 9) at −2 and −1 wk prepartum as well as at +1, +2, +3, and +4 wk postpartum were used in this study. A total of 1010 to 1012 cfu of a probiotic culture consisting of Lactobacillus sakei FUA 3089, Pediococcus acidilactici FUA 3140, and P. acidilactici FUA 3138 was dissolved in 1 mL reconstituted skimm milk. Calves were supplied with 4 kg colostrum/d up to 3 d after birth, and blood samples were collected from the jugular vein on d 3 and 10. The incidence of diarrhea was monitored daily in all calves up to 2 wk. Blood data were submitted to repeated measures ANOVA, whereas the incidence of diarrhea was analyzed by chi-squared test with SAS. Significance and tendency levels were considered at P < 0.10 and P < 0.15, respectively. Data indicated that PRO calves showed greater concentration of glucose (89.4 vs. 101.5, ± 4.6 mg/dL), but lower lactate (5.7 vs. 4.3, ± 0.5 mmol/L) in the plasma (P < 0.10). Also, concentrations of haptoglobin (444 vs. 347, ± 60.1 μg/ mL) and β-hydroxy-butyrate (125 vs. 107, ± 6.9 μmol/L) in the plasma tended to be lower in the PRO calves (P = 0.11). There was no effect of treatment on calf’s body weight at birth, plasma non-esterified fatty acids, and cholesterol (P > 0.15). Frequency tables revealed that 6 out of 10 calves (60%) pertaining to the CTR group were affected by diarrhea, whereas the PRO calves showed lower (P = 0.09) incidence of diarrhea (2 from 9; 22.2%). In summary, results suggested that intravaginal treatment of the pregnant cows with probiotics during the transition period enhanced the metabolic health status of newborn dairy calves.