Mammary blood flow ante and post partum in cows

Abstract

Changes in mammary blood flow and the weight of udder occurring about the time of parturition in goats have been reported by Linzell (1960, 1966a, b) and Reynolds (1965). The present paper now gives the results of the determination of mammary blood flow before and after parturition in cows. The experiments were done on 3 unanaesthetized animals in standing position using Rasmussen’s antipyrine-absorption method (1965), with manual compression of the external pudic vein during blood sampling. The blood flow values are the average of 3 periods of 10 min. In 2 cows (nos. 1 and 2) the udder weight was estimated from the volume of a plaster bandage mould made after milking out on the day of the experiment (Kjærsgaard 1968).