Prepartum metabolic profiles as predictors of postpartum health in dairy cows

Dairy cows are at risk for postpartum diseases in the transition period and early identification of dry cows at risk can support interventions to improve transition management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of several prepartum clinical-chemical serum indicators for identification of dairy cows at increased risk for impaired postpartum health. On four farms, 180 cows were scored on 19 clinical signs twice weekly from two wk prepartum until six wk postpartum. Serum samples were collected between day 25 and 1 prepartum and wk one and five postpartum, and analyzed using colorimetric methods, enzymatic methods or AlphaLISA. Based on postpartum clinical scores and serum variables, a Total Deficit Score (TDS) was calculated and used as integral indicator of postpartum health. Cows were divided into three categories: low TDS (healthy), high TDS (impaired health), or culled within six wk after parturition. Increased prepartum serum concentrations of haptoglobin and total protein, and decreased magnesium and albumin were associated with impaired postpartum health, and were especially deviating for cows culled after parturition. A generalized mixed linear model was developed to detect impaired postpartum health in individual cows and contained parity group, prepartum magnesium and albumin concentrations. Performance of the individual-level prediction model was limited, likely because few cows had serum variables outside the cut-off values in this study. In conclusion, prepartum serum haptoglobin, albumin, total protein, and magnesium concentrations were associated with postpartum health of cows. Farmers could monitor these prepartum serum variables to improve transition cow health.