Nutrition in Pregnancy

Question 1

What are the essential nutrients in any animal? Which is the most important?

Answer 1

Water (most important) - Energy - Protein - Minerals - Vitamins

Question 2

What does ME stand for? What is it measured in?

Answer 2

Metabolisable energy - Joules

Question 3

How many joules does one calorie contain?

Answer 3

4.2

Question 4

What are the typical ME requirements for a dairy cow?

Answer 4

1 litre of milk requires 5MJ (mega joules)

72 MJ for maintenance (700kg cow)

Add 19MJ for high activity

Question 5

What are the increased energy requirements of a dairy cow through pregnancy?

Answer 5

Month 2 = 0.5 MJ/day
Month 4 = 1.6 MJ/day
Month 6 = 5 MJ/day
Full term = 35 MJ/day
Overdue = 44 MJ/day

Question 6

Normally how many lactations does is take before a cow is considered fully grown? What are the implications of this?

Answer 6

3 Lactations - Need o factor in ME needed for growth as well

Question 7

How much ME does a cow gain when losing weight?

Answer 7

35 MJ/kg/day

Question 8

What is the ME value of grass?

Answer 8

~10 MJ/kg of DM (dry matter)

Question 9

What is the voluntary intake of a dairy cow around calving? (late pregnancy/early lactation) What are the implications of this?

Answer 9

Reduced appetite - Loss of body condition score during early lactation as there is a negative energy balance

Question 10

What is the most important factor that will contribute to reduced fertility in sheep?

Answer 10

If there are abrupt changes in their environment causing stress

Question 11

What do you need to determine when pregnancy diagnosing sheep?

Answer 11

If positive - How many foetuses (so can be separated)

Question 12

What is Twin Lamb Disease?

Answer 12

Excessive energy demand from foetuses causing negative energy balance - Sheep becomes recumbent - Normally tipped over the edge by stress

Question 13

How is twin lamb disease treated?

Answer 13

Getting energy into the ewe - i/v glucose - oral propylene glycol - oral electrolyte carbohydrate source

Question 14

What should you never do during the dry period of a dairy cow’s lactation?

Answer 14

Try and alter the BCS as weight loss is a disaster in dry cows

Question 15

Why is Fatty Liver Disease common in pregnant dairy cows?

Answer 15

Hormonal changes cause fat metabolism (end of pregnancy) - Increases Free Fatty Acids in the blood - Fat processed by the liver causing overload

Question 16

When is Fatty liver very serious?

Answer 16

Called Fat Cow Syndrome

Question 17

How can fatty liver be avoided?

Answer 17

Transition diet in late pregnancy