Association between non-esterified fatty acids and calcium concentrations at calving with early lactation clinical diseases, fertility and culling in grazing dairy cows in Uruguay

This study describes the association of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and calcium concentrations at calving with early lactation disease, reproductive performance and culling in 646 dairy cows from 13 commercial grazing dairy herds in Uruguay. During one year, health events were recorded from calving to 30 days in milk (DIM). The first author visited each farm every 20 days. During each visit, body condition score (BCS) was recorded (scale 1–5), defining BCS < 3 as suboptimal and BCS > 3 as optimal, and a blood sample was taken from cows between 0 and 4 DIM for metabolite determination. To evaluate the association between health events (i.e., retained placenta-metritis and clinical mastitis) and risk factors (parity, BCS, high NEFA (> 0.6 mmol/L) and subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) (< 2.10 mM)) data were analysed using multivariable logistic regression models. To evaluate the association of health events and risk factors with reproductive performance and culling, data were analysed using Cox proportional hazard regression models. A risk factor and an outcome of interest were assumed to be associated at P < 0.05 and a tendency to be associated was defined at P < 0.10. Overall, 47 % (n = 303) of the cows showed elevated NEFA concentration and 77 % (n = 499) had SCH. In addition, 21.5 % (n = 139) of the cows recorded at least one clinical disease. Cumulative incidence was 17 % (n = 109) for clinical mastitis, 4.2 % (n = 27) for retained placenta (RP)-metritis and 1.4 % (n = 7) for lameness. Clinical mastitis was associated with parity, with lower odds in primiparous (PP) cows (OR = 0.42, P < 0.01). Cows in an optimal BCS also tended to have lower odds (OR = 0.66, P = 0.07). Moreover, high NEFA and SCH cows had higher odds of CM (OR = 4.5, P = 0.01 and OR = 1.75, P = 0.04, respectively). Retained placenta-metritis tended to be associated with high NEFA concentration (OR = 2.2, P = 0.06). Primiparous cows with suboptimal BCS showed an increased first insemination rate (HR = 2.34; P < 0.01). The risk of culling was lower in PP cows (HR = 0.19; P < 0.01) and in cows with optimal BCS and low NEFA concentration (HR = 0.38; P = 0.03). Our data show that metabolic challenge (defined as peripartum suboptimal BCS, high NEFA or SCH) is associated with increased odds of clinical mastitis and RP-metritis, decreased probability of insemination and increased hazard of culling. Under grazing conditions, we suggest that farm management to improve the metabolic adaptation to lactation represents an opportunity to enhance cow performance in terms of health, fertility and longevity.