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oai:figshare.com:article/33828622 2026-09-16T05:30:16Z category_1280 portal_316 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Table 1_Prepartum biochemical, ruminal, and behavioral indicators associated with postpartum fat-to-protein ratio in dairy cows.docx Samanta Grigė (22645436) Akvilė Girdauskaitė (22645433) Lina Anskienė (24581451) Inga Sabeckienė (24961114) Sigitas Japertas (24961117) Karina Džermeikaitė (22645439) Justina Krištolaitytė (22645442) Arūnas Rutkauskas (24581454) Ramūnas Antanaitis (22645457) Farm Management, Rural Management and Agribusiness biosensors cattle dairy early lactation innovations Introduction<p>The milk fat-to-protein ratio (F/P) is widely used as an indicator of metabolic status in dairy cows during early lactation. Identifying prepartum factors associated with subsequent F/P ratio variation may improve the early detection of cows with differing metabolic adaptation patterns. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate associations between prepartum biochemical, ruminal, and behavioral indicators and postpartum F/P ratio classification in dairy cows.</p>Methods<p>Sixty-nine clinically healthy primiparous Holstein cows were monitored during the four weeks preceding calving and the first four weeks of lactation. Cows were classified according to their average postpartum F/P ratio as Group 1 (F/P ≤ 1.4; n = 35) or Group 2 (F/P > 1.4; n = 34). Blood biochemical analyses, intraruminal sensor measurements, and behavioral data were collected and compared between groups. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to identify predictors of postpartum F/P ratio classification.</p>Results<p>Cows in Group 1 produced 25.4% more milk (p = 0.004),whereas Group 2 exhibited greater milk fat concentrations (p = 0.004). Before calving, ALT activity was 22% higher (p < 0.001), serum iron concentration was 24% higher (p = 0.007), and creatinine concentration was 9% lower (p = 0.042) in Group 1. Behavioral and ruminal measurements also differed between groups. Group 1 cows spent 11% more time ruminating (p = 0.006) and had 3% higher rumen pH values (p = 0.002), whereas Group 2 cows demonstrated 30% greater activity (p < 0.001) and 14% greater water intake (p = 0.035). Logistic regression identified creatinine, glucose, activity, water intake, and rumen pH as significant variables associated with postpartum F/P ratio classification. Among individual predictors, activity demonstrated the highest discriminatory ability (AUC = 0.689; p = 0.007).</p>Discussion<p>Significant differences in biochemical, ruminal, and behavioral characteristics were detectable before calving in cows subsequently classified according to postpartum F/P ratio. These findings indicate that sensor-derived and biochemical indicators may provide useful information for characterizing metabolic adaptation during the transition period and support their potential application in precision dairy herd management.</p> 2026-09-16T05:30:16Z Dataset Dataset 10.3389/fanim.2026.1912755.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Table_1_Prepartum_biochemical_ruminal_and_behavioral_indicators_associated_with_postpartum_fat-to-protein_ratio_in_dairy_cows_docx/33828622 CC BY 4.0