Prevention of peripartal diseases in dairy cows: does fluid intake directly after calving affect feed intake and metabolic blood parameters?

A pronounced negative energy balance increases the risk for production diseases in dairy cows in early lactation. The objective of this study was to investigate whether fluid intake in cows directly after calving has an impact upon feed intake and metabolic blood parameters. Water supplemented with a mixture of roborants was offered to a total of 124 cows on three dairy farms. The acceptance of the supplement water was high (on average, 35.8 +/- 11.7 were drunk within 15 minutes). Quantitative dry matter intake during the first 72 hours after calving was recorded in 13 cows. A significant positive correlation between amount of fluid intake and intake of the partly mixed ration was found (r = 0.58, p = 0.036). Fluid intake did not, however, affect metabolic blood parameters in these cows. The results of this study indicate that the empirically reported positive results of a high fluid intake directly after calving on the health status of dairy cows seem to be caused indirectly by an enhanced dry matter intake.