After giving birth to a calf, cows, like other mammals, experience a period of very high energy expenditure, which is often associated with negative energy balance (NEB) or metabolic stress. NEB, among others, decreases the reproductive ability of the cow. In dairy cattle, it is required that both a high milk yield is achieved, and the cow is able to conceive again as soon as possible. Thus, the levels of markers of metabolic stress, namely total cholesterol (tChol), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and triacylglycerols (TAGs), were monitored to see whether their level correlate with the reproduction capability of primiparous dairy cows and whether these molecules can be used as markers of readiness of the cow to conceive. It was shown that there is high correlation between NEFA, BHB, and TAGs levels and reproduction capability of the primiparous dairy cow. On the other hand, the impact of tChol is very ambiguous.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.