[A decrease in blood beta-carotene in dairy cows during late pregnancy period]

In four successive seasons of green and winter feeding in the years 1980-1984, beta-carotene concentrations were determined in the plasma of venous blood of 3441 cows in the first phase of lactation, in the other phase of lactation, in the eighth month of pregnancy and in the 9th-9.5th months of pregnancy. The cows in the other phase of lactation had the significantly highest beta-carotene concentrations in the two feeding seasons. In the eighth month of pregnancy there occurs a significant drop that continues also in the 9th-9.5th months of pregnancy. In the first phase of lactation beta-carotene concentrations remained at the level of the values from the 9th-9.5th months of pregnancy. In the period of winter feeding, the mean concentrations of beta-carotene in all groups of cows were deep below the limit value of 7.44 mumol . l-1, which indicated that it was necessary to fortify feeds with vitamin A; in the cows in the 9th-9.5th months of pregnancy and in the cows in the first phase of lactation they were lower than the critical value of 5.58 mumol.l-1, which signaled the disorders of reproduction processes. In the course of the years of investigation beta-carotene concentrations varied in the same manner in all groups of cows in keeping with the vegetation period of the feed, feed kind and quality.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)