Changes in haematological and serum biochemical parameter concentrations from the day of calving to ketosis onset in Holstein dairy cows during the postpartum period

Table 1 Characteristics of the Holstein cows included the study

Variable	NK	SCK	CK	p-value
Number	75	46	35
Age at calving, years	4.20 ± 1.79^a	4.73 ± 1.77^ab	5.80 ± 2.56^b	0.003
Parity	2.08 ± 1.18	2.39 ± 1.22	2.69 ± 1.59	0.111
Difference between calving date and due date, days	−1.43 ± 5.02	−1.80 ± 6.39	−2.00 ± 3.83	0.671
Calf Birth Weight, kg	41.0 ± 5.5 ^c	42.0 ± 4.4^cd	43.7 ± 5.3^d	0.037
Body Condition Score
Calving date	3.04 ± 0.27 ^a	3.07 ± 0.30 ^a	3.33 ± 0.34 ^b	< 0.001
Onset day	2.95 ± 0.25 ^ab	2.90 ± 0.25 ^a	3.10 ± 0.34 ^b	0.024
Daily milk yield (Days 4 – 21 postpartum), kg/day
Day 4 – Day 6 postpartum	23.2 ± 7.1 ^c	25.9 ± 6.8^cd	28.2 ± 4.1 ^d	0.005
Day 7 – Day 9 postpartum	27.5 ± 7.2 ^c	29.8 ± 6.5^cd	31.8 ± 7.1^d	0.035
Day 10 – Day 12 postpartum	29.9 ± 7.9	32.1 ± 7.2	31.0 ± 7.3	0.366
Day 13 – Day 15 postpartum	31.6 ± 8.2	33.3 ± 6.4	32.6 ± 7.2	0.550
Day 16 – Day 18 postpartum	31.8 ± 8.8	34.7 ± 7.3	31.8 ± 6.8	0.179
Day 19 – Day 21 postpartum	33.0 ± 8.3	35.0 ± 7.9	33.2 ± 7.4	0.455
Onset day	11.0 ± 5.8	10.8 ± 5.3	11.0 ± 4.4	0.924
Number of cows
Day of ketosis onset
Day 0 (the day of calving)
Day 3 postpartum	7	3	2
Day 6 postpartum	21	13	6
Day 9 postpartum	12	10	10
Day 12 postpartum	12	6	6
Day 15 postpartum	6	3	6
Day 18 postpartum	7	9	5
Day 21 postpartum	10	2

The onset day signifies the day with the highest β-hydroxybutyrate concentration (in the NK group) or the day of ketosis onset (in the SCK and CK groups)
Data are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation values
NK non-ketosis group; SCK subclinical ketosis group; CK clinical ketosis group
^a,bDifferent letters in the same row indicate significant differences (p < 0.017, Mann–Whitney U test with Bonferroni’s method)
^c,dDifferent letters in the same row indicate significant differences (p < 0.05, Bonferroni’s test)

ISSN: 2046-0481