Lactational response to exogenous growth hormone and abomasal infusion of a glucose- sodium caseinate mixture in high-yielding dairy cows

Abstract

Milk production responses to 1) growth hormone injections (51.5 IU/day), 2) a mixture of glucose (274 g/day) and sodium caseinate (441 g/day) infused into the abomasum, 3) a combination treatment, and 4) a placebo treatment were determined in 4 cows in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Treatment periods were 10 days, and production responses were based on the last 5 days of each treatment. Growth hormone administration increased milk yield 15.2% without changing milk composition or feed intake. Infusions of glucose-sodium caseinate into the abomasum increased milk yield 3.9% and milk protein yield 6.4% but when combined with growth hormone treatment did not stimulate a greater response than observed for growth hormone alone. Plasma concentrations of growth hormone were increased 4-fold with growth hormone injections but were not affected by the infusion of glucose-sodium caseinate into the abomasum. There were no significant changes in plasma concentrations of glucose, free fatty acids, insulin, glucagon, prolactin, triiodothyronine, thyroxine or cortisol with any of the treatments. Growth hormone increased milk synthesis and the efficiency of milk production, but its effect was not enhanced by the postruminal supply of additional nutrients.