Fatty Liver in High Producing Dairy Cows Kept in Evaporative Cooling System in a Commercial Dairy Herd in Thailand

Abstract

The occurrence of fatty liver was investigated in a commercial dairy farm under evaporative cooling system in Thailand by determination of triacylglycerol concentrations in the liver. Nineteen Holstein-Friesian cows were used. Liver samples were collected at -2, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wk from parturition. At -2 wk, mean liver triacylglycerol concentration was 24.3 ± 1.0 mg/g of liver. After parturition, mean liver triacylglycerol concentration from 6 cows was lower than 50 mg/g of liver (mild fatty liver group), the mean concentration from 8 cows was between 50 and 100 mg/g of liver (moderate fatty liver group), and the mean concentration from 5 cows was greater than 100 mg/g of liver (severe fatty liver group). The results showed that 68.4% of dairy cows in this investigation suffered from periparturient fatty liver. Milk production in severe fatty liver group tended to be higher than the milk production in mild or moderate fatty liver cows. This result indicated that cows with higher milk yield tended to enter deeper negative energy balance postpartum and as a consequence had more intensive lipolysis, leading to accumulation of a greater amount of triacylglycerols in the liver. In conclusion, an evidence of fatty liver was found in high producing dairy cows, kept under cooled condition in Thailand. Before any preventive measures could be made, further research is required to study the effect of fatty liver or negative energy balance on periparturient problems, i.e. infertility, metabolic disorders, in dairy cows raised in Thai conditions.