Influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of Brown Swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions

ABSTRACT: In the present experiment, 10 horned and 10 disbudded mid-lactating Brown Swiss cows were included in a crossover feeding trial with a hay or hay and concentrate diet. The effects of dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses under thermoneu...

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Main Authors: A.-M. Reiche, S.L. Amelchanka, B. Bapst, M. Terranova, M. Kreuzer, B. Kuhla, F. Dohme-Meier
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-11-01
Series:Journal of Dairy Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223004629
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author A.-M. Reiche
S.L. Amelchanka
B. Bapst
M. Terranova
M. Kreuzer
B. Kuhla
F. Dohme-Meier
author_facet A.-M. Reiche
S.L. Amelchanka
B. Bapst
M. Terranova
M. Kreuzer
B. Kuhla
F. Dohme-Meier
author_sort A.-M. Reiche
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT: In the present experiment, 10 horned and 10 disbudded mid-lactating Brown Swiss cows were included in a crossover feeding trial with a hay or hay and concentrate diet. The effects of dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions were studied, as both are considered to ease the cow's thermoregulation under an environmental heat load. Cows received either ad libitum hay and alfalfa pellets (85:15, C−, NDF content: 41.0%) or restricted amounts of hay and concentrate (70:30, C+, NDF content: 34.5%). The level of restriction applied with the C+ diet was determined from pre-experimental ad libitum intakes, ensuring that both diets provided the same intake of net energy for lactation (NEL). For data collection, cows were housed in respiration chambers for 5 d. The climatic conditions were 10°C and 60% relative humidity (RH), considered thermoneutral (TN) conditions (temperature-humidity index (THI): 52) for d 1 and 2, and 25°C and 70% RH, considered heat stress (HS) conditions (THI: 74), for d 4 and 5. On d 3, the temperature and RH were increased gradually. Compared with TN, HS conditions increased the water intake, skin temperature, respiration and heart rates, and endogenous heat production. They did not affect body temperature, feed intake, or milk production. Lowering dietary fiber content via concentrate supplementation lowered methane and increased carbon dioxide production. It did not mitigate physiological responses to HS. Although the responses of horned and disbudded cows were generally similar, the slower respiration rates of horned cows under HS conditions indicate a possible, albeit minor, role of the horn in thermoregulation. In conclusion, future investigations on nutritional strategies must be conducted to mitigate mild heat stress.
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spelling doaj.art-70ac0a57d3eb478cb3a651177b92c9e92023-10-21T04:21:43ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022023-11-011061180338046Influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of Brown Swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditionsA.-M. Reiche0S.L. Amelchanka1B. Bapst2M. Terranova3M. Kreuzer4B. Kuhla5F. Dohme-Meier6Ruminant Nutrition and Emissions, Agroscope Posieux, 1725 Posieux, Switzerland; Corresponding authorETH Zurich, AgroVet-Strickhof, Eschikon 27, 8315 Lindau, SwitzerlandQualitas AG, 6300 Zug, SwitzerlandETH Zurich, AgroVet-Strickhof, Eschikon 27, 8315 Lindau, SwitzerlandETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Eschikon 27, 8315 Lindau, SwitzerlandResearch Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Nutritional Physiology, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, GermanyRuminant Nutrition and Emissions, Agroscope Posieux, 1725 Posieux, SwitzerlandABSTRACT: In the present experiment, 10 horned and 10 disbudded mid-lactating Brown Swiss cows were included in a crossover feeding trial with a hay or hay and concentrate diet. The effects of dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions were studied, as both are considered to ease the cow's thermoregulation under an environmental heat load. Cows received either ad libitum hay and alfalfa pellets (85:15, C−, NDF content: 41.0%) or restricted amounts of hay and concentrate (70:30, C+, NDF content: 34.5%). The level of restriction applied with the C+ diet was determined from pre-experimental ad libitum intakes, ensuring that both diets provided the same intake of net energy for lactation (NEL). For data collection, cows were housed in respiration chambers for 5 d. The climatic conditions were 10°C and 60% relative humidity (RH), considered thermoneutral (TN) conditions (temperature-humidity index (THI): 52) for d 1 and 2, and 25°C and 70% RH, considered heat stress (HS) conditions (THI: 74), for d 4 and 5. On d 3, the temperature and RH were increased gradually. Compared with TN, HS conditions increased the water intake, skin temperature, respiration and heart rates, and endogenous heat production. They did not affect body temperature, feed intake, or milk production. Lowering dietary fiber content via concentrate supplementation lowered methane and increased carbon dioxide production. It did not mitigate physiological responses to HS. Although the responses of horned and disbudded cows were generally similar, the slower respiration rates of horned cows under HS conditions indicate a possible, albeit minor, role of the horn in thermoregulation. In conclusion, future investigations on nutritional strategies must be conducted to mitigate mild heat stress.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223004629cattletemperature-humidity indexhayhornsrespiration chamber
spellingShingle A.-M. Reiche
S.L. Amelchanka
B. Bapst
M. Terranova
M. Kreuzer
B. Kuhla
F. Dohme-Meier
Influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of Brown Swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions
Journal of Dairy Science
cattle
temperature-humidity index
hay
horns
respiration chamber
title Influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of Brown Swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions
title_full Influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of Brown Swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions
title_fullStr Influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of Brown Swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions
title_full_unstemmed Influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of Brown Swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions
title_short Influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of Brown Swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions
title_sort influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of brown swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short term heat stress conditions
topic cattle
temperature-humidity index
hay
horns
respiration chamber
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223004629
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