Epidemiological Features of Postpartum Subclinical Ketosis in Dairy Herds in Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

This study was carried out as an observational study in order to determine the prevalence of postpartum subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy herds in Hokkaido, Japan. From April 2012 to March 2014, blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) concentration was measured once within 3-88 days in milk (DIM) in 1394 apparently healthy cows from 108 farms to diagnose SCK (≥1.2 mM). In cows within 14 DIM, this was classified as SCK II, and from 15 DIM, this was classified as SCK I. Herds with a combined percentage of SCK I and SCK II of less than 10% were classified as SCK-negative herds, those with percentages of 10-25%, were classified as alert herds, and those with one of 25% or more, we classified as positive herds. The prevalence of SCK in the entire DIM was 17.6%. The prevalence of SCK II (20.2%) tended to occur more frequently than SCK I (16.5%, p = 0.094). The frequency of SCK I was higher at the fourth parity. The number of milking cows in SCK-positive herds was significantly smaller than those of the other two types of herds (p = 0.004). The frequency of SCK-positive herds in tie stalls and with component feeding was higher than for free stall or free barn and with total mixed ration (p = 0.054 and p = 0.002). This study reveals the prevalence of SCK in Hokkaido, Japan, and shows that SCK is associated with parity and the management system.

Keywords: dairy cow; postpartum; prevalence; risk factor; subclinical ketosis.

Figure 1

The prevalence of SCK categorized by DIM. The numbers in parentheses in the figure are the number of SCK cows divided by the number of cows tested. The chi-square test was used to determine that there was a significant difference between different superscripts (p = 0.001). Days in milk were separated by one-week intervals. Sampling was not conducted during 1–2 DIM due to the influence of calving. Cows in each week from week 8 to and throughout week 13 were treated as the same group because the numbers were limited.

Figure 2

The prevalence of SCK I and SCK II and association with management systems. The chi-square test was used, and statistically significant differences were assessed at p < 0.05 and tendency at p < 0.10. The percentages in each category show the prevalence of SCK, and the numbers in parentheses show the number of SCK cows and those tested. Housing system: FS/FB = free stall or free barn; TS = tie stall. The average number of milking cows in each housing system was calculated. FS/FB = 180 cows; TS = 57 cows. Farms with more than the median number of cows are considered medium/large-scale farms, and those with fewer than cows are small-scale farms. Feeding system: TMR = total mixed ration; component feeding. Feeding systems of FS/FB are all TMR.