Days-in-Milk and Parity Affected Serum Biochemical Parameters and Hormone Profiles in Mid-Lactation Holstein Cows

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Serum biochemical parameters and hormones play a role in directly reflecting the physiological state and modulating the milk performance of dairy cows. However, the variability of the serum biochemical parameters and hormones in multiparous mid-lactation cows have not drawn much attention due to their supposedly stable states, especially for those cows under the same nutrition and management condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of days-in-milk (DIM, within the mid-lactation) and parity (ranging from 2–6) on serum biochemical parameters and hormone profiles based on a large cohort of dairy cows. The results showed that DIM and parity contribute to the variations in serum biochemical parameters and hormones related to protein status, energy supply, liver and kidney function, and oxidative stress of mid-lactation dairy cows, with the effect of DIM being dominant over parity. Our result suggested that the DIM periods and parity should be taken into consideration to optimize nutritional strategies in order to improve the milk performance traits more precisely. ABSTRACT: It is well known that serum biochemical parameters and hormones contribute greatly to the physiological and metabolic status of dairy cows. However, few studies have focused on the variation of these serum parameters in multiparous mid-lactation cows without the interference of diet and management. A total of 287 Holstein dairy cows fed the same diet and maintained under the same management regime were selected from a commercial dairy farm to evaluate the effects of days-in-milk (DIM) and parity on serum biochemical parameters and hormone profiles. Milk yield and milk protein content were affected by DIM and parity (p < 0.05). Milk protein yield showed a numerically decreasing trend with parity, and it was relatively constant in cows with parities between 2 and 4 but lower in cows with parity 6 (p = 0.020). Ten and five serum biochemical parameters related to protein status, energy metabolism, liver and kidney function, and oxidative stress were affected by DIM and parity, respectively (p < 0.05). Glucagon, insulin-like growth factor 1 concentration, and the revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index were significantly different (p < 0.05) among cows with different DIM. Parity had no effect on hormone concentrations. An interaction between DIM and parity effect was only detected for glucagon concentration (p = 0.015), which showed a significantly increasing trend with DIM and overall decreasing trend with parity. In summary, DIM and parity played an important role in affecting the serum biochemical parameters and/or hormones of dairy cows, with serum parameters affected more by DIM than parity.