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2018 ADSA Annual Meeting
The following technical article is related to the event::
2018 ADSA Annual Meeting

A field study on prevention of subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows supplemented synthetic aluminums silicate or anionic salts in late pregnancy

Published on: 7/19/2018
Author/s : P. Theilgaard*, M. Jakobsen**; *Vilofoss, Denmark, **Protekta Inc., Lucknow, Ontario, Canada
Objective:
The objective was to compare Ca serum concentration and frequency of severe [Ca < 2.0 mmol/L] and moderate [Ca < 2.125 mmol/L] subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) in cows supplemented according to the Dietary Cation Anion Differences (DCAD) principles or with synthetic zeolite.
Materials and methods:
  • The trials were performed in two large commercial farms in US and blood samples were taken within the first 24 hours after calving.
  • The test consisted in comparing plasma Ca concentration when the farms were using DCAD management for preventing hypocalcemia (in Farm 1 at -14.7 mEq/100 g DM (full DCAD) and in Farm 2 at 0.62 mEq/100 g DM (partial DCAD)) with the plasma Ca concentration levels when synthetic aluminum silicate was supplemented by using the commercial product X-Zelit (Protekta Inc/Vilofoss, Graasten, DK).
  • The differences in the plasma calcium concentrations between treatments were tested within farms with ANOVA using the lm procedure in the R package. Fisher’s exact test was used to assess differences in incidences of SCH.
Results:
The plasma calcium concentration was significantly (P < 0.001) higher in the X-Zelit group compared to the DCAD group on both farms (Table 1).
A field study on prevention of subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows supplemented synthetic aluminums silicate or anionic salts in late pregnancy - Image 1
The frequency of animals having severe SCH [Ca < 2.0 mmol/L] and moderate SCH [Ca < 2.125 mmol/L] was higher for the DCAD group compared to the X-Zelit group in both farms (Figure 1).
A field study on prevention of subclinical hypocalcemia in dairy cows supplemented synthetic aluminums silicate or anionic salts in late pregnancy - Image 2
Implications:
  • The average plasma calcium where higher in the X-Zelit group compared with the DCAD group.
  • The results show a lower SCH frequency using X-Zelit compared to DCAD feeding.
  • Results suggest that X-Zelit could be an efficient alternative to DCAD feeding for preventing SCH
 

Vilofoss presented the X-Zelit posters at the ADSA Meeting 2018
 
Author/s :
 
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