Association of transient, persistent, or delayed subclinical hypocalcemia with early lactation disease, removal, and milk yield in Holstein cows

Our objectives were to evaluate the association of subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) dynamics with the risk of early lactation disease, removal, and milk production. We conducted a prospective observational cohort study in 407 Holstein cows in 2 dairy herds in New York. Cows were stratified by parity group (144 primiparous, 263 multiparous) and classified into 1 of 4 groups based on postpartum plasma Ca concentrations previously associated with improved milk production or increased risk of disease: normocalcemic (NC; primiparous Ca >2.15 mmol/L at 1 and 2 d in milk, n = 67; multiparous Ca >1.77 at 1 d in milk and 2.20 mmol/L at 4 d in milk, n = 109); transient SCH (tSCH; primiparous Ca ≤2.15 at 1 d in milk and >2.15 mmol/L at 2 d in milk, n = 25; multiparous Ca ≤1.77 at 1 d in milk and >2.20 mmol/L at 4 d in milk, n = 50); persistent SCH (pSCH; primiparous Ca ≤2.15 mmol/L at 1 and 2 d in milk, n = 33; multiparous Ca ≤1.77 at 1 d in milk and ≤2.20 mmol/L at 4 d in milk, n = 34); or delayed SCH (dSCH; primiparous Ca >2.15 at 1 d in milk and ≤2.15 mmol/L at 2 d in milk, n = 19; multiparous Ca >1.77 at 1 d in milk and ≤2.20 mmol/L at 4 d in milk, n = 70). Evaluated outcomes were development of an adverse event hyperketonemia (blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentration ≥1.2 mmol/L at 3, 5, 7, or 10 d in milk), metritis, displaced abomasum, or herd removal in the first 60 d in milk and average milk yield per day across the first 10 wk of lactation. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to analyze the adverse event outcome and generalized linear mixed models for milk yield analysis. Primiparous cows with tSCH were no more likely to have an adverse event than NC cows risk ratio = 1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.5 to 3.2, whereas multiparous cows tended to have a higher risk for an adverse event than NC cows (risk ratio = 1.4; 95% CI = 0.9 to 2.1). However, pSCH cows were 4.1 (95% CI = 2.1 to 7.9, primiparous) and 1.8 (95% CI = 1.2 to 2.7, multiparous) times more likely, and dSCH cows 3.2 (95% CI = 1.5 to 7.0, primiparous) and 1.9 (95% CI = 1.3 to 2.6, multiparous) times more likely, to have an adverse event than NC cows. Primiparous and multiparous cows with tSCH made more milk per day than NC, pSCH, or dSCH cows across the first 10 wk of lactation. Primiparous cows averaged 28.5 ± 0.7, 31.9 ± 1.1, 29.7 ± 0.9, and 28.7 ± 1.2 kg/d, and multiparous cows averaged 44.6 ± 0.7, 49.1 ± 1.1, 46.4 ± 1.3, and 41.4 ± 0.9 kg/d for NC, tSCH, pSCH, and dSCH cows, respectively. Our results suggest that cows with tSCH adapt well to early lactation, develop fewer disease or removal events than pSCH or dSCH cows, and make more milk than NC, pSCH, or dSCH cows. Cows with pSCH or dSCH, regardless of parity group, are at an increased risk for early lactation disease or removal events.