Use of Biochemical Indicators to Evaluate The Nutritional Status of Lactating Cows

ABSTRACT: Nutrient requirement is important to the annual, especially to cope with the physiological demands. Tropical countries face many problems of feeding management associated with animal production. Protein,energy and minerals (calcium and phosphorous) arc found in the blood and milk which can be collected in a simple manner and used to detect the nutritional status of the animal, These blood and milk constituents could be reliable biochemical indicators associated with production states of animals. The objective of this research is to study the correlation betwoen dry matter intake with milk productionJevels of blood calcium, phosphorous, protein,and milk calcium, phosphorous and protein and also urinary allantoin. Twelve lactating cows were davided randomly into 3 groups according to milk production. Group 1, 11 dan 111 produced 15 I, 10 1 and 5 1 of milk per day respectively. All animals were fed concentrate and elephant grass at a level calculated for a cow producing 10 I of milk per day as recomended by NRC (1988). Results showed that group 1,11 and 111 consumed respectively 14,9714.13 and 13.68 kg dry matter. There were deficiencies of calsiuni and phosphorous intakes in group I (4.81% and 636%) but not in the other groups. Milk production decreased in group 1 (38.6%) as compared to group I I,while production in group Ill increased by about 37.50%. Blood calcium and phosphorous concentrations increased in group III (12.6 % and 635 %). There was significant correlation between dry matter intake and milk production (1=0.7) but protein intake and urinary allautoin was not highly correlated. Key Words: Biochemical Indicators, Allantoin, Nutritional Statu