CONTROL OF FATTY LIVER SYNDROME IN A JERSEY HERD BY A CHANGE OF DIET AND THE USE OF RECOMBINANT BOVINE SOMATOTROPIN

A Jersey herd was investigated following a decrease in milk yields. Th e cattle were permanently housed and fed a complete diet in four group s on the basis of yield. They were generally healthy, but the dry cows and many of the milking cows were over fat. The plasma concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate and glucose were normal, but the activities o f aspartate aminotransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase and the conce ntration of non-esterified fatty acids were high. Fatty liver syndrome was diagnosed. All the dry cows were condition scored and placed into one of three dietary groups according to their score. They were exerc ised in an outdoor paddock and entered the pre-calving feeding group a t least two weeks before calving; 75 per cent of them achieved a condi tion score of less than 3, and most of them produced normal milk yield s. Thirty cows which had developed signs of fatty liver syndrome were paired and one of each pair received an injection of 640 mg of recombi nant bovine somatotrophin. The yield of the treated cows was significa ntly higher (P<0.05) for the first two weeks after the injection. The treated cows had higher plasma concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate and non-esterified fatty acids and lower plasma urea concentrations se ven days after the injection. No other biochemical parameters were aff ected.