SHORT COMMUNICATION
Glucose tolerance, ketose indices and body weight
changes in heifers after calving
More details
Hide details
1
Warsaw Agricultural University, Faculty of Animal Science,
Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
2
Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences,
Jastrzębiec, 05-552 Wólka Kosowska, Poland
Publication date: 2006-09-21
Corresponding author
Sz. Fiedorowicz
Warsaw Agricultural University, Faculty of Animal Science,
Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2006;15(Suppl. 1):23-26
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to establish the relationship between parameters of the glucose
tolerance test (GTT) of young heifers and their body weight after calving and at the peak of
lactation, as well as the level of β-hydroxybutyric acid in blood serum at the peak of lactation. The
GTT was conducted on 60 heifers HF at the age of 9-10 months. The animals were infused with
1 g glucose/kg W0.75 and 10 blood samples were taken at 6 min intervals. For 24 h before taking
blood samples the animals received only water. Serum glucose concentrations and insulin activity
were estimated. Correlation and regression between the area under the glucose concentration and
insulin activity curves, the ratio of these areas (the glin index), maximum insulin activity, peak
glucose concentration, glucose half-life, and body weight at the test, after calving and at the peak of
lactation, were calculated. The index “glin” seems to be the best parameter for estimation of body
weight after calving and at the peak of lactation.