Abstract

The increase of milk production has been accompanied by increasing incidence of health problems, declining ability to reproduce and declining the fertility of modern dairy cows. High producing dairy cows need to mobilize body reserve to be able to sustain their milk production. During early lactation, there were elevated demand for energy for more milk production, but a lag in feed intake created negative energy balance. Until energy intake assures the requirements, dairy cows, especially high producing breeds, enter a state of negative energy balance (NEB) that leads to economic losses through decreased milk production, decreased reproductive performance and increased risks of disease incidences. Increased energy intake, decreased dry period length and improved fertility are among the universal approach in combating the negative effect of negative energy balance in dairy industry.

Keywords: Combating; Dairy cow; Energy balance; Negative effect