Effect of Prepartum Dietary Cation Anion Difference on Blood Mineral and Metabolite Concentrations and Lactation Performance of Holstein Dairy Cows

Dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) drives a compensated metabolic acidosis, which increases calcium (Ca) uptake and mobilisation before calving and reduces clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia postpartum. This approach is frequently employed in conjunction with dietary Ca restriction, which has traditionally been utilised to mobilise Ca prepartum in order to prepare cows for lactation. Supplemental dietary Ca in conjunction with a negative DCAD formulation that does not restore compensated metabolic acidosis may be helpful. The goal of this study was to see how mineral concentrations, blood metabolites, endocrine state, and lactation performance were affected by prepartum dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD mEq [(Na + K - Cl + S)]/ kg of dry matter (DM) in postpartum dairy cows. Forty-eight Holstein cows entering 1-5 lactation  with an average body weight of 685 kg 10 SD (n= 48) were used in a randomised block with a three-treatment arrangement to offer three prepartum diets with different DCAD (0, -100, and -180 mEq/kg DM). Cows were kept on trial for a total of 66 days after calving. Cows given -180 and -100 DCAD had greater prepartum NEFA concentrations than cows fed 0.0 DCAD. Cows fed (-180 DCAD) had greater serum Ca concentrations than cows fed (-100, 0.0 DCAD) owing to impact therapy. Because of the influence of the day, phosphorus content was greater at 0 and 2 days postpartum. PTH levels were greater in cows fed (0.0 DCAD) than in cows fed (-100, -180 DCAD).