ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2014, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (8): 1288-1294.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2014.08.012

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Effects of Dietary Biotin Supplement on Performance and Limb Hoof Health in Chinese Holstein Lactating Dairy Cows

ZHANG Peng,LIN Xue-yan,SU Peng-cheng,WANG Yun,HOU Qiu-ling,WANG Zhong-hua*   

  1. (College of Animal Science and Technology,Shandong Agricultural University,Tai’an 271018,China)
  • Received:2013-12-27 Online:2014-08-23 Published:2014-08-23

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of biotin on the performance and hoof health of Chinese Holsein lactating cows.Sixty healthy Holstein cows (45 cows with lactation days in (67.4±35.5) d and 15 with lactation days in (167.6±27.5) d) in similar weight and milk yield were assigned randomly to four groups with 15 cows per group according to the lactating period of block experimental design.The cows in 4 groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 10 (group A),20 (group B),30 (group C) and 40 mg•d-1(group D) biotin,respectively.The test sustained 300 d,the coffin hardness and limb hoof score were detected every 75 d.Milk yield and milk copmposition were recored,blood indexes were detected,and the effect of biotin supplementary levels on lactating of cows was investigated on the 60th day of the test.The results shown that:1) Milk protein percentage decreased by supplementing botin and milk protein percentage in group A,B,C and D were 3.64%,3.26%,3.14% and 3.27%,respectively.Milk protein percentage in group A was significantly higher than that in the other biotin supplement groups (P<0.05),but there were not significant difference in milk protein yield among groups;2) The plasma biotin and glucose concentrations increased by supplementing biotin.The plasma biotin concentration in supplementing 20,30 and 40 mg•d-1 biotin groups were significantly higher than that in supplementing 10 mg•d-1 biotin group (P<0.01),and the plasma glucose concentration in group B and D were 3.40 and 3.28 mmol•L-1,which increased significantly(P<0.05),there were no significant difference among group B,C and D in plasma glucose concentration; 3) Supplementing biotin enhanced the coffin hardness.For the coffin hardness determined at 75th and 105th day,there were significant difference among different groups(P>0.05),the coffin hardness determined at 225th and 300th day in group B,C and D were higher than that in group A,but there were no significant difference among group B,C,D.The coffin hardness at 225th day in group B and C were significant higher than that in group A(P<0.05),at 300th day in group B was significant higher than that in group A(P<0.05); 4) Status of limb hoof was negatively closely related to the coffin hardness(P<0.05),and the correlation coefficient decreased with the experiment,which indicated that the effect of biotin decreased with supplementing.These results indicate that dietary biotin supplement can enhance the coffin hardness and improve the limb hoof health,the optimum biotin supplement level is 20 mg•d-1.

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