IMMUNITY RESPONSE AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF LACTATING FRIESIAN COWS TREATED WITH BENTONITE | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Animal Production | ||||
| Article 1, Volume 58, Issue 3, October 2021, Page 91-98 PDF (985.59 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejap.2021.78688.1017 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Wael Mohamed Fatoh Wafa   1; Abdelaziz Mohamed El-Hais 2; Yahia Alaa Eldein Yahia2
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| 1Cattle breeding department, Animal production institute, Agriculture research center | ||||
| 2Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of bentonite on the immune status and reproductive performance of lactating Friesian cows. A total of 30 pregnant Friesian cows (4-6 years of age) were divided into three groups (10 cows in each). In the 1st group; G1, animals were fed the control diet, while those in the 2nd; G2 and 3rd; G3 groups were fed the control diet supplemented with 20 or 40 g bentonite/kg concentrate, respectively, from 60 days prepartum up to 120 days postpartum. Blood samples were taken at estrus and 120-d postpartum. Results show that calf weight at calving and placental drop time improved (P<0.05) in G3, while uterine horn symmetry and cervical closer improved in G2 and G3 compared with G1. Plasma immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, and IgA) increased (P<0.05) in G3 than in G1 and G2. Count of RBCs and WBCs, hemoglobin, and PCV improved (P<0.05) by both treatments, being the highest (P<0.05) in G3. Interval to first estrus, service period, and days open were the best (P<0.05) in G3. Concentration of P4 was the lowest at estrus, and the highest at 120-d postpartum in G3. Number of services/conception and pregnancy rate were 1.4 and 50% in G1, 1.6 and 80% in G2, and 1.4 and 100% in G3. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| bentonite; Friesian; hematology; immunoglobulins; reproduction | ||||
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