Vitamin Nutrition of Dairy Cows: NRC vs. Today’s Reality

Bill Weiss

Dept of Animal Sciences

OARDC/The Ohio State University

Vitamins

1. Improve cow health

2. Improve reproductive efficiency

3. Increase milk yields

4. Improve the nutritional value of milk

5. Be very profitable additions to diets

can:

Vitamins

1. Be detrimental to cow health

2. Reduce milk yields

3. Inflate feed costs

4. Reduce profitability

can:

Hypothetical response function to nutrient supply

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Resp

on

se

Supply

“Requirement” Max. tolerable level (MDL)

Hypothetical response function to vitamin intake

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Resp

on

se

Supply

“Requirement” Max. tolerable level (MDL)

Vitamin Requirements: What do we measure ?

• Classical deficiency disease ?

• Production ?

• Reproduction ?

• General health ?

• Immune function ?

If you thought measuring response was hard ….

Vitamins

RUMEN

Bacteria

Vitamins

Vitamin Supply

Vitamin Flow to Duodenum (Estimated DMI = 23 kg)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Niacin Folic B-12 Biotin Biotin

mg

/da

y

Intake Rumenx 10

Santschi et al., 2005; Schwab et al., 2006

?

Rumen Disappearance of supplemental vitamins

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Niacin Folic B-12 Biotin

Ru

me

n D

isa

pp

ea

ran

ce

, %

= SE Santschi et al., 2005

Change in Intestinal Supply (@ common supplementation rates)

0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

Niacin (6g) Niacin (12 g) Biotin (20 mg) Biotin (20 mg)

Su

pp

l./c

on

tro

l

+7% +14% +6%

+212%

Vitamin A

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

IV R

um

en

Lo

ss,

%

BC 70%

Forage

50%

Forage

Fat Soluble Vitamins: Rumen Metabolism

Feed grade Vit E:

Stable in vitro

Feed grade Vit D:

Some degradation

in vitro

How much vitamin is absorbed ?

Dietary concentration Amount destroyed in rumen Amount made in rumen Absorption coefficient

Usually Don’t know

Don’t know

0 or Don’t know

Don’t know

Don’t know

Underfeeding

Potentially reduced production and repro, increased health problems

Overfeeding

Potential toxicity, antagonism, higher feed costs

Fat soluble vitamin status related to health measures

LeBlanc et al., JDS 2004

Carotene

Vitamin A

Vitamin E

Requirement: 110 IU supplemental/kg BW

Safety Factor: 1.1 to 1.5X

Potential responses:

- RP

- Abortions

- Mastitis

- Milk

Vitamin A

Potential Risks:

- Activity during storage

- Rumen breakdown

- Vit E absorption

- Toxicity

No data showing NRC is not adequate

Vitamin A (retinyl acetate) is destroyed in the rumen

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

IV R

um

en

Lo

ss,

%

BC 70%

Forage

50%

Forage

Vitamin A is labile - pelleting - heat - humidity - etc.

Fat Soluble Vitamin Activity During Storage

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Retinol Vit E Vit D

Lo

ss o

f A

cti

vit

y, %

/mo

nth

Premix

Inorg. TM

Organic TM

Shurson et al., 2011

How much vit A do cows need?

1. Current NRC

2. Effect of increased milk yield (1 kg of milk has ~1000 IU of retinol) ?

Vitamin A Toxicity

• Historically set at about 10X req’t - Reduce vitamin E status - Liver/vision problems - Birth defects

• Newer data with humans

- Abnormal gene expression at 2X req’t

Retinoic acid is a very bioactive molecule: it does lots of things

Vitamin D: NRC, 2001

30 supplemental IU/kg BW

Safety Factor: 1.1 to 2X

18,000 to 25,000 IU/day (outside cattle probably less)

Classical signs of deficiency:

- Rickets

- Milk fever No recent data

evaluating requirements

What about other effects ?

Vitamin D and Immune Function

Humans: Low plasma 25-OH D = macrophage kill

Mice: In vitro +vit D; neutrophil kill

Cattle: • With infection PMN: Vit D receptor up-regulated 1-α-OH-ase up-regulated • Mastitis cure increased with IMa 25-OH

vit D

Vitamin D and Immune Response in Dairy Cows

LPS May Reduce Vit D Status

LPS

Cont

Waldron et al 2003

Several effects of D on immunity in humans and lab animals have been

shown

NRC does not maximize plasma D in dairy cows

0

5

10

15

20

25

Winter Summer

Plasm

a 25-vit

D, ng

/ml

None

Hymoller et al., 2009 Pastured

30-75 = ‘desirable’ range for humans?

For Normal

plasma Ca

Vitamin D and Dairy Cows

1. Current recommendations clearly adequate with respect to Ca

2. Probably affects immune response

3. Some old data show milk yield response (~2X current NRC)

4. Time for some new research

Lactating: ~500 IU/day (SF: 1 – 1.2 X)

Dry: ~1000 IU/day (SF: 1 to 1.2X)

Pre-fresh: ~1000 IU/day (SF:2 to 4X)

Vitamin E Low-Med. Risk, Med-High Reward

Main risk: Cost Main benefit: Less disease

Substantial pasture: much less, may be none

Periparturient Cows

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

-60 -30 0 30 60

Calving day

Pla

sm

a E

, u

g/m

l

Weiss et al., 1990

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

-35 -25 -15 -5 5 15 25 35

Calving day

Rela

tiv

e P

MN

Fu

nc

tio

n,

%

Kehrli, 2002

Colostrum

DMI

Utilization

Vitamin E

Natural vs. “Really Natural’

Grazing Cows

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20

Toco

ph

erol,

mg/L

Day Relative to Calving

+2500 IU/d Supplement

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20

Day

Cont

Natural

Syn

Sanchez, 2005 Weiss et al., 2009

Vitamin E and Periparturient Cows

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

IMI Mastitis

Prev.,

%

100 IU 1000 IU 1000/4000 IU

Weiss et al., 1997

4

4.5

5

5.5

log

SC

C

7 d 14 d

1000 IU 2000 IU

Baldi et al., 2000

Adequate Se Low Se

Vitamin E and Mastitis: Clinical Data

5 Studies: Improved mammary gland health 2 Studies: No effect 1 Study: Negative

Various studies (all confined cattle) None vs. ~1000/500 None vs high at transition ~500 vs extra at transition High during dry period Both all-rac and RRR tocopherol

Clinical Mastitis and Vit E Fed during dry period: Mastitis first 100 d

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Farm A B C D E All

Clinica

l qu

art

er/

Tot

al Q

uart

ers

x 1

00

3000 IU

1.7X RR

Bouwstra et al., 2010

Vitamin E and Milk Fat Depression

• Cows fed diet high in

PUFA (1% linseed oil)

• Forage: Corn silage

• Diets were 27% NDF

• 0 or 12,000 IU of E/d

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Milk fat trans-10

Control

Vit E

Pottier et al., 2006

Vitamin E and Milk Fat Depression

• Cows fed diet with

tallow (2.3%)

• Alfalfa and corn silage

• Diets were 33% NDF

• 500 or 5,000 IU of E/d

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

Milk fat trans-10

Control Tallow Tallow+E

Weiss and Wyatt, 2003

Water Soluble Vitamins

Health and Production, Sometimes

Water soluble vitamins

- Biotin

- Choline (?)

- Folic acid

- Niacin

-Vitamin B-12

-Vitamin C

- Riboflavin

- Thiamin

- Vitamin B6

- Pantothenic acid

- White line separation

- Heel warts

- Sole hemorrhage

- “Lameness”

Feeding about 20 mg of biotin/d for several months reduces hoof

lesions and lameness

Biotin: Milk Response (meta-analysis) = 1.3 kg/d

(Lean and Rabiee, 2011)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Au OH 1 WI FL UK OH 2 OH 2 Iran

Milk

, lb

s/d

ay

Control

20 mg

RP-Choline and Milk Yield

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

Exp 1 Exp 2 Exp 3 Exp 4 Exp 5 Exp 6

Lb

s/d

ay

Control

RP choline

Exp 1-3 from Donkin (2002), Exp 4 (Janivick et al., 2006); Exp 5

(Piepenbrink and Overton, 2003), Exp 6 (Pinotti et al., 2002)

* *

*

Response (Meta-analysis) = 2 kg/d

*

(Sales et al., 2010)

RPC reduced liver fat build up in cows with -NEB

Cooke et al., 2007

In 2nd expt, RPC increase export of liver fat in cows in +NEB

RP-Choline and Fatty Liver

Niacin and Ketosis (3-12 g/d)

73%

9%

18%

No effect Reduced Increased

60%

40%

No effect Reduced

NEFA, 11 studies Ketones, 10 studies *

High Dose Niacin (abstract only) • Jersey cows • 0 or 48 g nicotinic acid/day • 30 d pre until calving

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

um

ol/

L

NEFA

Control Niacin

0

5

10

15

20

25

lbs/

da

y

DMI

French, 2004

In 2006, expt repeated with Holsteins and did

NOT work

Niacin and Milk Production

Schwab et al., 2005 Meta-analysis

6 g/d: No effect on production

12 g/d: + 0.5 kg/d milk

+ 26 g/d fat

+ 17 g/d protein

Profitability depends on milk price

Fat Soluble Vitamin Summary

Vitamin A • Stability risk: 1.2 X NRC

Vitamin D • NRC adequate for Ca metabolism • Other responses? : 1.0 to 2.0 X NRC

Vitamin E • NRC adequate for dry/lactating • 2000 to 5000 IU for transition cows

Water Soluble Vitamins

Biotin: Low Risk/High Reward Feed 20 mg/d

No

RP-Choline: High Risk-High Reward

Risk: High cost Reward: More milk (~4 lbs) Maybe less ketosis

Niacin: Low Risk/Low Reward

Bottom Line Feed enough minerals and vitamins

(usually a little extra) but

not too much

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