2007, Vol 2 No 1, Article 14

Economic Implications of Bubaline Ketosis – A Clinical Study

 of Effects on Milk Yield

Shabir A. Teli¹ & S. L. Ali²

Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Sciences,

 Anjora, Durg (CG), India

(Part of MVSc research work, Thesis submitted to IGKVV, Raipur)

¹Department of Animal Husbandry, Kashmir

²Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Sciences,

 Anjora, Durg (CG), India

ABSTRACT

Study outlines the effect of ketosis in 120 buffaloes. Seventy nine (65.83%) of 120 ketotic buffaloes showed 20-30 percent drop in milk yield, whereas 40-50 per cent drop in production was exhibited by 20 (16.66%) buffaloes. The average drop in daily milk yield was recorded to be 3.52 + 0.16 liters (36.70%) and the recovery after treatment could restore only 25.30 per cent (1.73 + 0.15 liters) milk per day.

INTRODUCTION

Bovine ketosis is of substantial economic significance and has been found to be responsible for decline in milk production even two weeks before its clinical form, (Lucey et al, 1986).Major economic losses have been attributed to the loss of milk yield and failure of the animals to return to the fullest production potential even after recovery in clear cut cases of ketosis (Waage, 1989; Lean et al, 1994).
The present study puts on record the drop in milk production on the onset of disease and the regain in its productivity after recovery.
 

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred twenty clinically ketotic buffaloes from various localities of Chattisgarh, were included in the study for assessing the drop in milk yield. Twenty four of them were followed beyond recovery to assess resumption of yield.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Seventy nine (65.83%), twenty one (17.50%) and twenty (16.66) buffaloes suffering from clinical ketosis showed 20-30%, 30-40% and 40-50% drop in milk yield respectively (Table 1).

Table 1

Effects of clinical ketosis on milk yield of buffalo

A drop of 3.52 + 0.16 liters milk/animal/day (36.70%) was thus noticed (Table 2). Average daily milk yield recorded before illness in healthy buffaloes was 9.59 + 0.88 liters, that dropped to 6.07 + 0.91 liters per day in ketotic buffaloes. Decline of 22–60 percent in milk production in bovine clinical ketosis has also been placed on record by Dohoo et al, ( 1984), Swan and Tripathy (1987) and Mir and Malik (2003).

Table 2

Lactation kinetics during bubaline ketosis

*120 animals divided into six lactational phases

The fall in milk yield varied in degree at various stages of lactation. The decline ranged from 25.31 percent in 0 to 1 month of lactation to 49.77 percent at 5–6 month postpartum with an increasing trend (Table 2). Contrary to the present findings, Andersson (1988) demonstrated that the losses were marked in early as compared to late lactation stages in cows. Complete restoration of milk yield could not be achieved in present study also. An average of 1.73 + 0.15 liters milk/animal/ day (25.30%) (Table 3) was regained in animals after recovery with various therapeutic regimens. Huge economic losses, because of drop in milk yield and failure of animal to return to full production potential have been recorded (Waage, 1989). In ketosis the capacity of the animal to supply the lactogenic precursors to mammary gland is reduced than the capacity of the gland to produce due to homeorhetic drive for production (Lean et al, 1992). Moreover, elevated blood ketones also result in decreased milk production (Andersson and Lundstrom, 1985). According to Radostitis et al, (2006) the decline in milk production in ketosis was not proportionate to reduction in energy status at early stages of lactation because of excessive hormonal stimuli.

Table 3

Lactation stage wise drop in milk yield in clinically ketotic buffaloes

REFERENCES

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2. Andersson, L; Lundstrom, K (1985). Effects of feeding silage with high butyrie acid content on ketone body formation and milk yield in post parturient dairy cows. Zentralblatt fur Veterinar medizin A, 32: 15 – 23

3. Dohoo, IR; Martin, SW; McMillan, I; Kennedy, BW (1984). Disease, production and culling in Holstein – Friesian cows – II. Age, season and sire effects. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 2: 665 – 670

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