Relationship between serum nonesterified fatty acids at calving and the incidence of periparturient diseases in Holstein dairy cows

The objective was to describe the relationship between concentration of serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) at calving and the incidence of periparturient disorders in Chilean Holstein dairy cows (Bos taurus). The study was conducted at two dairies (central Chile) with 700 milking cows each and similar management. Between July 2006 and March 2007, 350 cows were selected, and concentrations of serum NEFAs were determined at calving. The incidence of milk fever (MF), retained fetal membranes (RFMs), metritis, and clinical mastitis from calving to 100 d in lactation were consistently recorded. The relationship between concentration of serum NEFAs at calving and the incidence of periparturient diseases was determined using logistic regression. The main explanatory variable was concentration of serum NEFAs at calving. The incidence of MF, RFM, metritis, and mastitis was 5.4%, 15.6%, 10.8%, and 14.4%, respectively. There was no association between concentration of NEFAs at calving and the incidence of these conditions when the median value of NEFAs (0.9 mEq/L) was used as a cutoff. However, when the 75th percentile (1.2 mEq/L) was used as the cutoff, cows with values <1.2 mEq/L were 0.45 and 0.32 times as likely to develop clinical mastitis and MF, respectively, compared with cows with values ≥1.2 mEq/L. When the 90th percentile (1.6 mEq/L) was used as a cutoff, cows with values <1.6 mEq/L were 0.25 times as likely to develop clinical mastitis compared with cows with values ≥1.6 mEq/L. As a continuous variable, for every 0.1 mEq/L increment in NEFAs at calving, cows were 1.11 times more likely to experience clinical mastitis. In conclusion, cows with NEFA concentrations ≥1.2 mEq/L had a higher incidence of clinical mastitis and MF than that of cows with values <1.2 mEq/L.