Resilienz bei der Milchkuh - gibt es das?

Production diseases affect dairy cows predominantly during the transition period. A causal relationship is drawn between high milk yield and the occurrence of production diseases. Such a monocausal approach, however, does not reflect the real situation as production diseases are multifactorial by origin, with exogen (environmental) and endogen (animal related) factors being involved. The bovine metabolism follows the rules of a complex system as it is characterized by a great number of variables (metabolic parameters) that interact by positive as well as negative feedback mechanisms of variable intensity. Furthermore the effects of such feedback mechanisms might not occur instantaneously but with some delay in time. Negative feedback loops contribute to the stability of a complex system. Resilience with respect to animal health is defined as the capacity of animals to cope with short-term perturbations in their environments and return rapidly to their pre-challenge status. Aim of the present paper is to answer the question whether resilience does exist in dairy cows, what characteristics it shares, whether it is measurable and whether research on resilience could contribute to a decrease in the incidence rates of production diseases. Close monitoring of dairy cows by clinical examination, use of sensor technology and analysis of blood samples for metabolic parameters (NEFA, Ca, P, urea, albumin, haptoglobin,) and faecal samples in the dry period allowed Dutch researchers to identify cows on beforehand that were at risk of developing production diseases in the post partum period. Cows at risk demonstrated differences in their behaviour as well as a delayed return of selected metabolic analytes to the reference range following calving compared to cows that remained healthy during the transition period. Identification of resilient dairy cows could help breeders in their efforts to improve dairy health and allow farmers to take preventive measures whenever a cow at risk is identified in the dry period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]