THE INFLUENCE OF DIET BEFORE AND AFTER CALVING ON THE FOOD-INTAKE, PRODUCTION AND HEALTH OF PRIMIPAROUS COWS, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SOLE HEMORRHAGES

Sixty-five primiparous cows were used in two experiments to study the effects of feeding high or low levels of concentrate during the last 2 to 3 weeks before calving on performance in early lactation. During e arly lactation (until 12 or 16 weeks after calving) all the 23 cows in experiment 1 were given the same diet. In experiment 2, the 42 cows w ere given diets with a ratio of concentrate/forage of either 60:40 or 40:60, each providing the same energy level. The food intake of almost all the cows decreased in the few days before calving but the decreas e was less pronounced among those on the low concentrate level before calving. The average daily food intake during the calving week gave a metabolizable energy intake about 30 MJ higher on the high compared wi th the low feeding level. The level of feeding before calving had no e ffect on the cows' food intake after calving, or on their milk yield, health and fertility, or on scores for udder oedema and sole haemorrha ges. The high level of feeding before calving was associated with sign ificantly higher concentrations of insulin and lower concentrations of free fatty acids in the calving week of lactation but the level of fe eding either before or after calving had no effect on these concentrat ions in the 8th week of lactation. The feeding of a high untie of conc entrate/forage after calving was associated with a significantly lower milk fat content. It can be concluded that the concentrate/forage rat io at calving does not seem to have any significance for the performan ce after calving.