Hostname: page-component-857557d7f7-v2cwp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-11-23T09:36:55.463Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Long-term effects of early-life transition milk feeding on reproductive and lactation performance, and markers of oxidative status in Holstein heifers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 November 2025

Constanze S. Ostendorf Open the ORCID record for Constanze S. Ostendorf [Opens in a new window] ,
Morteza Hosseini Ghaffari ,
Kira J. Hemmert ,
Barbara Heitkönig ,
Christian Koch  and
Helga Sauerwein
Constanze S. Ostendorf
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, Physiology Unit, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany Educational and Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Hofgut Neumühle, 67728 Münchweiler an der Alsenz, Germany
Morteza Hosseini Ghaffari*
Affiliation:
Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), WG Metabolic Health, Dummerstorf 18196, Germany
Kira J. Hemmert
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, Physiology Unit, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Barbara Heitkönig
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, Physiology Unit, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Christian Koch
Affiliation:
Educational and Research Centre for Animal Husbandry, Hofgut Neumühle, 67728 Münchweiler an der Alsenz, Germany
Helga Sauerwein
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Science, Physiology Unit, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
*
Corresponding author: Morteza Hosseini Ghaffari; Email: hosseini-ghaffari@fbn-dummerstorf.de.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

To determine the long-term effects of transition milk (TRANS), 30 female Holstein calves were allocated to two feeding groups (n = 15/group) after colostrum intake, receiving either 12 L of TRANS of their dam or 12 L of milk replacer (MR) per day. After 5 d of differential feeding, all calves received 12 L of MR/d. Until calving, heifers were weighed monthly. After calving, BW was recorded twice daily after milking. Body condition (BCS) and back fat thickness (BFT) were scored biweekly. Milk yield was recorded twice daily until d 200 in milk. Milk composition (protein, fat, and lactose), as well as somatic cell count (SCC) were analysed biweekly. Blood samples were taken 3 weeks before calving, at the day of calving and 3 weeks thereafter. Oxidative status was assessed as ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) for antioxidative capacity, and as reactive oxygen metabolites via the dROM assay. Oxidative damage of lipids was measured via the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) assay; peroxidized proteins were assessed using the advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) assay. Performance until first insemination did not differ between the groups, as well as BW development until the first weeks of lactation. From week 7 of lactation onwards, TRANS had less BW than MR heifers but tended to have a higher BCS. Milk yield and composition did not differ between both treatments. Marker for oxidative stress showed typical patterns of increasing antioxidants before calving and increase in prooxidants after calving in both treatment groups. The results indicate that feeding TRANS in the first 5 days of life had no long-term effects on performance in the first lactation, except for lower postpartum BW in heifers fed TRANS than MR, under the current rearing and management conditions.

Keywords

heifertransition milkantioxidative capacitymilk yield

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , First View , pp. 1 - 7
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Hannah Dairy Research Foundation.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Alberti, A, Bolognini, L, Macciantelli, D and Caratelli, M (2000) The radical cation of N,N-diethyl-para-phenylendiamine: a possible indicator of oxidative stress in biological samples. Research on Chemical Intermediates 26, 253–267. https://doi.org/10.1163/156856700x00769.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bagnell, CA and Bartol, FF (2019) Relaxin and the ‘Milky Way’: the lactocrine hypothesis and maternal programming of development. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 487, 18–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2019.01.003.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blum, JW and Baumrucker, CR (2008). Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), IGF binding proteins, and other endocrine factors in milk: role in the newborn. Bioactive components of milk, 397–422.10.1007/978-0-387-74087-4_16CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blum, JW and Hammon, HM (2000) Colostrum effects on the gastrointestinal tract, and on nutritional, endocrine, and metabolic parameters in neonatal calves. Livestock Production Science 66, 151–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0301-6226(00)00222-0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradford, MM (1976) A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Analytical Biochemistry 72, 248–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(76)90527-3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, J, Lindmark-Månsson, H, Gorton, L and Åkesson, B (2003) Antioxidant capacity of bovine milk as assayed by spectrophotometric and amperometric methods. International Dairy Journal 13, 927–935. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0958-6946(03)00139-0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conneely, M, Berry, DP, Murphy, JP, Lorenz, I, Doherty, ML and Kennedy, E (2014) Effect of feeding colostrum at different volumes and subsequent number of transition milk feeds on the serum immunoglobulin G concentration and health status of dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 97, 6991–7000. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2013-7494.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Edmonson, AJ, Lean, IJ, Weaver, LD, Farver, T and Webster, G (1989) A body condition scoring chart for Holstein dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 72, 68–78. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(89)79081-0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faber, SN, Faber, NE, McCauley, TC and Ax, RL (2005) Case Study: effects of colostrum ingestion on lactational performance. Professional Animal Scientist 21, 420–425. https://doi.org/10.15232/s1080-7446(15)31240-7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gelsinger, SL, Heinrichs, AJ and Jones, CM (2016) A meta-analysis of the effect of preweaned calf nutrition and growth on first-lactation performance. Journal of Dairy Science 99, 6206–6214. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-10744.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ghaffari, MH, Daniel, JB, Sadri, H, Schuchardt, S, Martín-Tereso, J and Sauerwein, H (2024) Longitudinal characterization of the metabolome of dairy cows transitioning from one lactation to the next: investigations in blood serum. Journal of Dairy Science 107, 1263–1285. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-23841.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godden, SMLJE and Woolums, AR (2019) Colostrum management for dairy calves. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice 35, 535–556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2019.07.005.Google ScholarPubMed
Gutteridge, JM and Quinlan, GJ (1983) Malondialdehyde formation from lipid peroxides in the thiobarbituric acid test: the role of lipid radicals, iron salts, and metal chelators. Journal of Applied Biochemistry 5, 293–299.Google ScholarPubMed
Hiss, S, Mielenz, M, Bruckmaier, RM and Sauerwein, H (2004) Haptoglobin concentrations in blood and milk after endotoxin challenge and quantification of mammary Hp mRNA expression. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 3778–3784. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(04)73516-X.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jahresbericht Landeskontrollverband Rheinland-Pfalz-Saar (2023) 128. Bad Kreuznach.Google Scholar
Jiang, W, Wang, J, Li, S, Liu, S, Zhuang, Y, Li, S, Wang, W, Wang, Y, Yang, H, Shao, W and Cao, Z (2025) Effects of Preweaning Calf Daily Gain and Feed Intake on First-Lactation Performance: a Meta-Analysis. Journal of Dairy Science 108, 4863–4877.10.3168/jds.2024-25742CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kankofer, M and Lipko-Przybylska, J (2008) Physiological antioxidative/oxidative status in bovine colostrum and mature milk. Acta Veterinaria Hungarica 58, 231–239. https://doi.org/10.2298/avb0803231k.Google Scholar
Kargar, S, Bahadori-Moghaddam, M, Ghoreishi, SM, Akhlaghi, A, Kanani, M, Pazoki, A and Ghaffari, MH (2021) Extended transition milk feeding for 3 weeks improves growth performance and reduces the susceptibility to diarrhea in newborn female Holstein calves. Animal 15, 100151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2020.100151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGrath, JJ (2016) Accelerated pre-weaning growth rates in dairy calves: do antioxidants have a place? Animal Production Science 56, 1275. https://doi.org/10.1071/an15310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mielenz, M, Mielenz, B, Singh, SP, Kopp, C, Heinz, J, Häussler, S and Sauerwein, H (2013) Development, validation, and pilot application of a semiquantitative Western blot analysis and an ELISA for bovine adiponectin. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 44, 121–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.domaniend.2012.10.004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nightingale, CR, Sellers, MD and Ballou, MA (2015) Elevated plasma haptoglobin concentrations following parturition are associated with elevated leukocyte responses and decreased subsequent reproductive efficiency in multiparous Holstein dairy cows. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 164, 16–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2014.12.016.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ostendorf, CS, Ghaffari, MH, Cohrs, I, Koch, C and Sauerwein, H (2025) Long-term effects of transition milk feeding on feed intake, growth performance, feeding behavior, and oxidative status of Holstein calves. Journal of Dairy Science 108, 464–484. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2024-25435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pyo, J, Hare, K, Pletts, S, Inabu, Y, Haines, D, Sugino, T, Guan, LL and Steele, M (2020) Feeding colostrum or a 1:1 colostrum:milk mixture for 3 days postnatal increases small intestinal development and minimally influences plasma glucagon-like peptide-2 and serum insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations in Holstein bull calves. Journal of Dairy Science 103, 4236–4251. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2019-17219.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sauerwein, H and Häußler, S (2016) Endogenous and exogenous factors influencing the concentrations of adiponectin in body fluids and tissues in the bovine. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 56, S33–S43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.domaniend.2015.11.007.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Soberon, F, Raffrenato, E, Everett, RW and van Amburgh Me, (2012) Preweaning milk replacer intake and effects on long-term productivity of dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 95, 783–793. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2011-4391.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tho Seeth, M and Krömker, V (2021) Increased somatic cell counts at first milk control are associated with decreased milk yield in the first lactation in dairy heifers. Milk Science International 74, 20–24. https://doi.org/10.48435/MSI.2021.4.Google Scholar
Van Soest, B, Cullens, F, VandeHaar, MJ and Nielsen, MW (2020) Short communication: effects of transition milk and milk replacer supplemented with colostrum replacer on growth and health of dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 103, 12104–12108. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2020-18361.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Soest, B, Weber Nielsen, M, Moeser, AJ, Abuelo, A and VandeHaar, MJ (2022) Transition milk stimulates intestinal development of neonatal Holstein calves. Journal of Dairy Science 105, 7011–7022. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-21723.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Witko-Sarsat, V, Friedlander, M, Capeillère-Blandin, C, Nguyen-Khoa, T, Nguyen, AT, Zingraff, J, Jungers, P and Descamps-Latscha, B (1996) Advanced oxidation protein products as a novel marker of oxidative stress in uremia. Kidney International 49, 1304–1313. https://doi.org/10.1038/ki.1996.186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed