Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Efficacy of a lasalocid supplement in the diet of dairy cows in early lactation in a pasture-based dairy system

C. R. Stockdale
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

Primary Industries Research Victoria (PIRVic), Department of Primary Industries, Kyabram Centre, 120 Cooma Road, Kyabram, Vic. 3620, Australia. Email: richard.stockdale@dpi.vic.gov.au

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(6) 658-663 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA06196
Submitted: 1 July 2006  Accepted: 19 October 2006   Published: 17 May 2007

Abstract

The lasalocid supplement, Bovatec, was fed to dairy cows at 300 mg of active ingredient for ~3 weeks precalving to up to 16 weeks postcalving in a pasture-based system. Sixty primiparous cows and 120 multiparous cows were allocated to equivalent control and lasalocid groups based on expected calving date, size and previous production history. To facilitate the feeding of the lasalocid, it was mixed with maize silage (~1 kg DM/cow.day) and fed as one feed on a concrete feed pad early in the morning each day before calving and before the afternoon milking during lactation. The control group received the maize silage without lasalocid. Otherwise, the feeding of both groups was exactly the same. The key response associated with adding lasalocid to the diet differed between the primiparous and multiparous cows. Although the average daily milk yield responses to lasalocid were not significant (P > 0.05) at 1.1 and 0.6 kg/cow for the primiparous and multiparous cows, respectively, significant (P < 0.05) increases in the milk yield of the primiparous cows were consistently recorded between weeks 5 and 15 of lactation. With the multiparous cows, there was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the circulating concentrations of serum β-hydroxybutyrate in those fed the lasalocid, with this being related to a tendency (P = 0.087) for these animals to maintain higher body condition scores for much of the early lactation treatment period. There were no other treatment differences of biological importance.

Additional keywords: animal health, blood metabolites, milk composition, milk production.


Acknowledgements

Technical assistance from Marg Jenkin, Stuart Austin, Daryl Wilson and the dairy staff at the Kyabram Centre of the Victorian Department of Primary Industries is acknowledged. Sorn Norng provided advice on statistical analysis.


References


Baird DB (1994) The design of experiments with covariates. PhD Thesis, University of Otago, New Zealand.

Bartley EE, Herod EL, Bechtle RM, Sapienza DA, Brent BE (1979) Effect of monensin or lasalocid with or without niacin or amicloral on rumen fermentation and feed efficiency. Journal of Animal Science 49, 1066–1075. open url image1

Beckett S, Lean I, Dyson R, Tranter W, Wade L (1998) Effects of monensin on the reproduction, health, and milk production of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 81, 1563–1573.
PubMed |
open url image1

Cohen DC, Doyle PT (2000) A pasture database for Victorian dairy producers. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences (Suppl. Vol. A) 13, 61. open url image1

Duffield TF, Bagg RN (2000) Use of ionophores in lactating dairy cattle: a review. The Canadian Veterinary Journal 41, 388–394. open url image1

Earle DF (1976) A guide to scoring dairy cow condition. Journal of Agriculture, Victoria 74, 228–231. open url image1

Earle DF, McGowan AA (1979) Evaluation and calibration of a rising plate meter for estimating pasture dry matter yield. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 19, 337–343.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Erasmus LJ, Smith I, Muller A, O’Hagan D (1999) Effects of lasalocid on performance of lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 1817–1823.
PubMed |
open url image1

Heard JW, Lyttle SM, Doyle PT, Stockdale CR (2002) An annual pasture database for irrigated dairy farms in southern Australia. Animal Production in Australia 24, 307. open url image1

Heard JW, Cohen DC, Doyle PT, Wales WJ, Stockdale CR (2004a) Diet Check – a tactical decision support tool for feeding decisions with grazing dairy cows. Animal Feed Science and Technology 112, 177–194.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Heard JW, Doyle PT, Wales WJ, Stockdale CR (2004b) Decision support tools to optimise conversion of pasture to milk. Animal Production in Australia 25, 89–92. open url image1

Ipharraguerre IR, Clark JH (2003) Usefulness of ionophores for lactating dairy cows: a review. Animal Feed Science and Technology 106, 39–57.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Johnson JC, Utley PR, Mullinix BG, Merrill A (1988) Effects of adding fat and lasalocid to diets of dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 71, 2151–2165. open url image1

Knowlton KF, Allen MS, Erickson PS (1996a) Lasalocid and particle size of corn grain for dairy cows in early lactation. 1. Effect on performance, serum metabolites, and nutrient digestibility. Journal of Dairy Science 79, 557–564.
PubMed |
open url image1

Knowlton KF, Allen MS, Erickson PS (1996b) Lasalocid and particle size of corn grain for dairy cows in early lactation. 2. Effect on ruminal measurements and feeding behavior. Journal of Dairy Science 79, 565–574.
PubMed |
open url image1

McDougall S, Young L, Anniss FM (2004) Production and health of pasture-fed dairy cattle following oral treatment with the ionophore lasalocid. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 2967–2976.
PubMed |
open url image1

Nagaraja TG, Avery TB, Galitzer SJ, Harmon DL (1985) Effect of ionophore antibiotics on experimentally induced lactic acidosis in cattle. American Journal of Veterinary Research 46, 2444–2452.
PubMed |
open url image1

Sauer FD, Kramer JKG, Cantwell WJ (1989) Antiketogenic effects of monensin in early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 72, 436–442.
PubMed |
open url image1

Stephenson KA, Lean IJ, Hyde ML, Curtis M, Garvin JK, Lowe LB (1997) Effects of sodium monensin on the metabolism of periparturient dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 80, 830–837.
PubMed |
open url image1

Stockdale CR (1984) Evaluation of techniques for estimating the yield of irrigated pastures intensively grazed by dairy cows. 2. The rising plate meter. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 24, 305–311.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Stockdale CR (2007) Effects of body condition and diet in late gestation on the subsequent health and performance of dairy cows. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 495–501.
Crossref |
open url image1

Walker RG, Elliott R, Davison TM, Knight RI (1996) Effect of lasalocid on the milk production of dairy cows. Animal Production in Australia 21, 415. open url image1

Weiss WP, Amiet BA (1990) Effect of lasalocid on performance of lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 73, 153–162.
PubMed |
open url image1