Influence of Feed Intake on Hormonal Profile of Post-parturient Friesian Cows in Uasin Gishu County – Kenya

Abstract

The immediate post-parturient period of lactating cattle holds significant physiological and metabolic challenges arising from parturition and negative energy balance (NEB). The study examined the effect of feed intake on the hormonal profile of post-parturient Friesian cows in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Three farms, namely Elfam, Elso and Betan, from which nine Friesian cows whose milk production averaged 20 litres per day were selected. The study utilised a randomised complete block design (RCBD) and adopted a natural on–field experiment where nutritional diets in each farm were adopted. The cows were fed 40 kg of forage supplemented with minerals and water given ad libitum. The cows were weighed daily, and the feed intake was determined daily. Blood samples were collected a day after parturition and later in the morning at a 7-day interval and tested for cortisol, prolactin, oestrogen, and Insulin Growth Factor (IGF) levels. The data were entered into Microsoft Excel and Genstat 14 for descriptive and ANOVA analysis, and the results were presented in tabular and graphical formats. All cows had on average low feed intake at parturition and progressively increased the feed intake to 35 kg during the study period. Hormonal cortisol levels gradually declined while those of IGF, prolactin and oestrogen progressively increased during the 30-day study period. The study concluded that feed intake was significantly and positively correlated to prolactin (r = 0.760), Oestrogen (r = 0.785), and IGF-1 (r = 0.692) and negatively to cortisol (r = -0.613). Based on the results, the study concluded that there is a causal linkage between feed intake and the hormonal profile of post-parturient Friesian cows. The study recommends that commercial farmers should improve the nutritional requirements of dairy cows based on their physiological state.