Effects of Supplemental Dietary Biotin on Performance of Holstein Cows During Early Lactation

Abstract

This study determined the effects of supplemental dietary biotin (0, 10, or 20 mg/d) on performance of Holstein cows (n = 45; 18 primiparous and 27 multiparous). Treatments started at 14 d prepartum and continued until 100 d in milk (DIM). Blood samples were taken at 14 d prepartum, and blood and milk samples were taken at calving, and 30, 60, and 100 DIM. Dry matter intake during lactation was not different across treatments (19.7 kg/d). Milk production linearly increased with biotin supplementation (36.9, 37.8, and 39.7 kg/d for 0, 10, and 20 mg/d of supplemental biotin, respectively). Biotin supplementation did not affect milk fat and true protein percentages or fat yield but linearly increased true protein yield. Supplemental biotin increased concentrations of biotin in plasma and milk at all time points. Concentrations of biotin in plasma and milk (colostrum) at calving were higher than at other time points for cows fed supplemental biotin. In an ancillary experiment, plasma biotin concentrations were not as high when cows were fed 20 mg/d of supplemental biotin for 14 d during the middle of their dry period as when cows were fed 20 mg/d of biotin for the last 14 d of gestation. This suggests that events associated with parturition altered plasma biotin concentrations. Plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, nonesterified fatty acids, and molar proportions of ruminal volatile fatty acids were not affected by biotin supplementation. Biotin supplementation had no effect on change in body weight or condition score. Supplemental biotin linearly increased milk and protein yields, however, the mode of action that caused these increases was not determined.

Effects of the forage to concentrate ratio on B-vitamin concentrations in different ruminal fractions of dairy cows

“…They were similar to those observed by Zimmerly and Weiss (2001) in dairy cows at 110 d of lactation fed a diet with 46% forages, a level intermediate between those used in the present experiment.…”

Net nutrient absorption and liver metabolism in lactating dairy cows fed supplemental dietary biotin

“…However, apart from numerical increases in net acetate, i-valerate and total VFA release by the PDV, there was no evidence that feeding biotin altered rumen or post-rumen fermentation. Similarly, there was no effect of feeding biotin on rumen VFA proportions (Zimmerly and Weiss, 2001) or total tract fibre digestion (Majee et al, 2003).…”

“…Therefore, DM offered was restricted to just below ad libitum and not altered over the course of the study to reduce variation in nutrient absorption and metabolism by splanchnic tissues attributable to DMI. In dairy cows fed ad libitum, supplemental biotin has typically increased milk yield (Bonomi et al, 1996;Midla et al, 1998;Zimmerly and Weiss, 2001;Bergsten et al, 2003;Majee et al, 2003) but the effect has not been observed in every study reported (Fitzgerald et al, 2000;Rosendo et al, 2004). In the present study, the lack of a milk yield response to supplemental biotin may have been due to the restricted DMI of the cows, or the length of supplementation (14 days) may have been too short to allow for effects on milk yield.…”

“…More recently, studies in lactating dairy cows have consistently demonstrated a positive effect of supplemental biotin on hoof growth, integrity, and the incidence of lameness (Midla et al, 1998;Fitzgerald et al, 2000;Hedges et al, 2001;Bergsten et al, 2003). In some of these studies (Midla et al, 1998;Bergsten et al, 2003) and others (Bonomi et al, 1996;Zimmerly and Weiss, 2001;Majee et al, 2003), supplemental biotin also increased milk yield, although the effect was not consistent across all studies (Fitzgerald et al, 2000;Rosendo et al, 2004). Although improved hoof health would ultimately benefit both drymatter intake and milk yield, the response in milk yield to supplemental biotin is more rapid than improvements in hoof integrity, and can occur without changes in DMI (Zimmerly and Weiss, 2001), suggesting a metabolic effect.…”

“…In nonruminants, biotin deficiency has been associated with an inhibition of gluconeogenesis and reduced blood glucose levels (Bender, 1999). The effect of supplemental biotin on milk yield has been attributed to an effect on rumen fermentation and digestion, glucose production in the liver, or metabolic effects on nutrient partitioning and milk synthesis (Zimmerly and Weiss, 2001). The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of supplemental biotin on net absorption and liver metabolism of glucose, glucose precursors and other products of digestion and gut metabolism.…”