Rumen fermentation dynamics in hyporexic post-partum dairy cattle: A gas chromatography based volatile fatty acid analysis

Abstract

Postpartum, dairy cows undergo dramatic changes in metabolism and physiological stress. Hyporexia in this time is often indicative of impaired rumen fermentation and energy metabolism. This research investigated the rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA) profiles of eight hyporexic postpartum cows by gas chromatography to search for patterns of fermentation indicative of subclinical metabolic imbalance. Total Volatile Fatty Acid (TVFA) concentrations ranged from 3.21 to 60.59mmol/L. Significantly lower TVFA levels in two animals suggested a considerable decrease in fermentation. The A: P ratio ranged from 1.92 to 10.57, indicating that certain cows had irregular fermentation processes. Altered rumen microbial function is indicated by these alterations in VFA patterns, and this may contribute Eto lower feed intake during the peri-parturient phase. Early detection of such metabolic disturbances by VFA profiling can be of great help in nutritional and clinical management of postpartum hyporexia in dairy cows.