Effects of food intake and composition on the concentration of glucose in the blood of lactating cattle

Abstract

A group of 16 cows, each suckling one calf, were fed on rations composed of maize meal, cottonseed meal, urea and rice straw in one of four different ratios and at two levels, (a) ad libitum and (b) in restricted amounts. The composition of the feed affected intake. Both the gross intake and the estimated intake of metabolizable energy were closely correlated with liveweight change. The intake of metabolizable energy was correlated with blood glucose in the cows fed ad libitum, but not in the cows fed on restricted amounts of the rations. It was concluded that feed quality significantly affected the blood glucose concentration of the lactating cows, but that within the ranges used in this experiment, feed intake and the intake of metabolizable energy had little effect.