Negative Energy Balance
Hariom and Sonu
Hariom
Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics,
LUVAS, Hisar, Haryana, India
Sonu
Department of Veterinary Medicine,
LUVAS, Hisar, Haryana, India
What is Negative Energy Balance?
During early lactation, Energy requirement of female animal is very high for maintenance as well as milk production. This requirement often exceeds the amount of energy that is available from the feed intake. So, when energy requirement is more than the amount of energy intake then this condition is called as Negative Energy Balance.
“Feed intake at this stage is less as compared to energy requirement thus forcing mobilization of body fat reserves to satisfy energy requirement”. -Goff and Horst, 1997
“Modern high-yielding Dairy Cows/buffalo enter a state of Negative Energy Balance (NEB) around calving when the energy demand for maintenance and lactation exceeds that of dietary energy intake”. -Bauman & Currie 1980
“Cows with excessive body tissue mobilization at this stage may take up to 20 weeks to regain a positive energy balance status” -Taylor et al. 2003
What happens in Negative Energy Balance?
High Producing Animals
Having low feed intake
Causes Negative Energy Balance
Leads to mobilization body fat reserve
Reduces body score
Results into various metabolic diseases like ketosis, reproductive insufficiency and decrease in milk production
Factors responsible for Negative Energy Balance:
• Poor energy diet in the last trimester of pregnancy.
• Poor nutrition after calving
• Increased energy demand at peak lactation.
Signs and Symptoms
• Dullness and lethargic
• Weak and debilitated
• Poor body condition score
• Inadequate or Absence of milk yield
• Poor Fat percentage in the milk yield
• Lesser milk yield as compared to last lactation.
Indications
Negative Energy Balance that results in
• Reduced Fertility
• Poor low conception Rate
• Increased Calving Intervals
• Metabolic disorder – Ketosis and Milk Fever
• Decreased immune System
• Poor health
Treatment:
A comprehensive therapy that provides Bypass Protein and Bypass Fat
The Role of Bypass Protein
• Dairy animals have four compartments in its stomach. The first and the foremost is ‘Rumen’ where most of the feed items are degraded by microflora.
• Around 60 to 70 percent of dietary protein meals fed to animals are degraded to Ammonia in the rumen. A significant part of this Ammonia is excreted through urine in the form of urea.
• Thus, a large portion of protein from expensive cakes/ meals is Wasted. If suitable treatment is given to dietary protein meals, degradation in the rumen can be minimized. This process or treatment to protect dietary protein from degradation in rumen is known as bypass protein technology. These protected meals are digested more efficiently in the small intestine and results in extra protein being available for milk production. This helps the animal to produce more milk and of optimum quality.
Thus Bypass Protein:
• Reduces dietary amino acid loss as Ammonia and Urea so better utilization of protein.
• Increases availability of Amino Acids supply so Efficient Protein synthesis
• Increases Growth Rate by 25-30%(Chatterjee & Walli, 2003).
• Increases Milk Yield about 10% (Walli and Sirohi, 2004).
• Early Age of first calving.
• Improve Reproductive efficiency.
The Role of Rumen Bypass Fat:
• BYPASS FAT SUPPLEMENT:
Generally, ration of high yielding dairy animals during early lactation is Energy deficient. The deficiency is further increased by decreased feed intake and higher quantity of milk production.
• Under field conditions, animals often shed around 80-100 kg body weight after calving. This leads to delayed conception in animals after calving resulting into longer inter-calving intervals. Such animals produce less milk during this period, thus, decreased lactation yield.
• At this stage of lactation, farmers usually supplement their animals with oil or ghee. But this is not economical and also hampers fibre digestion in the rumen (because ghee and oil makes protective covering over the fiber so ruminal microbes can not act on it ).
• Feeding bypass fat does not hamper fiber digestion and is always beneficial than feeding ghee/oil. it is not digested in the rumen but digested in the lower intestinal tract .
• Rumen Active oils like vegetable oils or conventional fat e.g. Mustard and Sunflower oil), fish oil etc. eliminates rumen bacteria and makes protective covering over the feed and reduces fibre digestion.
Thus Bypass Fat:
• Enhances Peak Milk Production and Persistency of lactation.
• Increases Reproductive Efficiency after calving.
• Decreases Metabolic Disorders such as ketosis, Acidosis & Milk fever.
• Improves Digestive performance.
• Minimizes Body Wt. loss after calving.
• Increases Energy Density (that is less feed gives more energy so no filling of rumen).
• Improves Reproductive Efficiency because higher bypass diet produce more viable oocyte.
(Skaar,T.C.R.R.Grummer,M.R.Dentine,andR.H.Stauffacher.(1980).Seasons effects on prepartum and postpartum fat and niacin feeding on lactating performance and lipid metabolism.J.Dairy Sci.,72:2028. )
Approach required for treating Negative Energy Balance:
comprehensive in nature by providing high concentrated form of energy which are not rumen degradable i.e. by providing Rumen Bypass fat and Proteins.
