Association between live body weight and milk urea concentration in Holstein cows

Use of milk urea (MU) concentration as a parameter for detection of nutritional imbalances requires identification and quantification of nutritional and nonnutritional factors that influence it. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between live body weight (BW) and MU concentration in Holstein cows. Results for the test-day measurements at 7 dairy farms were obtained from the Israeli Dairy Herd Improvement Center and concomitant cow weights were registered in local computerized weighing systems. A total of 1996 cows and 25,485 records were studied. The overall unadjusted per-cow mean MU nitrogen concentration and BW were 15.3 mg/dL (SD = 3.8) and 593 kg (SD = 84), respectively. The linear association between BW and MU was negative and highly significant and the quadratic component of BW had a highly significant positive association with MU. There was a significant interaction between the association of MU and BW with lactation number. Sampling month, milk yield, milk fat percentage, and somatic cell count accounted for significant variation in MU. Predicted MU concentrations at different BW values were calculated for each parity group, by setting equations that included the estimates of the variables associated with MU and constant values (lactation averages) for the independent variables, with the exception of BW. Plotting of results showed exponential characteristics for the relationship between BW and predicted MU concentrations. At any of the considered BW, predicted MU concentrations were lower for first-parity cows. The trends and interactions found in the present study may contribute to improving accuracy of models designed to calculate urinary nitrogen excretion rates and normative milk urea concentrations.