Effect of supplementation of whole sunflower seed and soybean seed on productive and reproductive variables and on metabolism in Holstein primiparous cows during the early postpartum period

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of fat supplementation during the early postpartum (PP) period on productive and reproductive variables and on the metabolism, 33 primiparous cows with Autumn calvings were fed daily with 6 kg of three different concentrates: control, addition of 0.7 kg of whole sunflower seeds, and 1.7 kg of soybean seeds during the first 50 days postpartum (PP). Diets were designed to be isocaloric and isoproteic. Body condition score (BCS) was evaluated, milk production and composition were analyzed and blood samples taken weekly from calving to characterize the metabolic profiles. Supplementation had no effect on consumption, milk production or composition, metabolic profiles, or reproductive parameters. Absence of undesirable effects on consumption or milk production and composition at these levels of supplementation suggests that sunflower or soybean seeds could be used as an energy source for feeding grazing dairy cows during early lactation.