Can dietary K in late lactation improve bone redeposition in dairy cows?
Pastures which are high in K have been considered a problem in dairy systems because of the potential to increase the risk of milk fever in calving cows. However, recent thinking suggests that K-rich pastures may play a role in preventing milk fever if utilized at a different stage in the lactation. Work has recently begun at the University of Sydney’s Camden facility to test the hypothesis that increased dietary K in late lactation, but no later than two weeks before calving, can encourage the re-deposition of bone, therefore increasing bone density at calving and subsequently reducing the risk of milk fever. It is also possible that improving bone re-deposition between lactations may also lengthen the productive life of animals. PhD student Marie Bhanugopan, under the supervision of Dr David McNeill has initiated research to investigate the impact of high and low K diets during late lactation by measuring in-situ bone density at calving and the subsequent impact on blood Ca status an
