Effect of injectable vitamin E on incidence of retained fetal membranes and reproductive performance of dairy cows

The objectives were to evaluate the effects of injectable vitamin E during the last 3 wk prepartum on the incidence of retained fetal membranes (RFM) and reproductive performance. Dairy cows (n = 890), 390 Holsteins (132 nulliparous and 258 parous) and 500 crossbred Holstein x Gyr (199 nulliparous and 301 parous), from 3 dairy farms in Brazil were assigned to the study. In all 3 farms, from October to March, prepartum cows grazed tropical grasses and received 2 kg/d of a mixture of finely ground corn, soybean meal, and minerals and vitamins. From April to September prepartum cows received a total mixed ration composed of corn silage, finely ground corn, soybean meal, and minerals and vitamins. During the prepartum period, cows were fed 280 (farm 1), 390 (farm 2), and 480 IU (farm 3) of supplemental vitamin E per day, and throughout postpartum, cows were fed 370 (farm 1), 500 (farm 2), and 600 (farm 3) IU of supplemental vitamin E. Within each farm, cows were randomly assigned to remain as untreated controls or to receive 3 i.m. injections of 1,000 IU each of dL-alpha-tocopherol administered at 19.2 +/- 4.3, 12.9 +/- 3.3, and 6.2 +/- 2.9 d before calving (VitE). Blood was sampled from 141 cows immediately before enrollment to determine the alpha-tocopherol and cholesterol statuses. Blood was also sampled and analyzed for concentrations of cortisol and nonesterified fatty acids in the last 3 wk of gestation. The serum concentration of alpha-tocopherol or alpha-tocopherol: cholesterol ratio did not differ between treatments and averaged 2.97 +/- 0.10 mu g/mL and 4.46 +/- 0.16 x 10(-3), respectively. In total, 53.2% of the cows had an inadequate concentration of serum alpha-tocopherol based on the 3.0 mu g/mL cut-off for adequacy. The risk of RFM decreased as serum alpha-tocopherol increased. Milk production did not differ between controls and VitE cows. Treatment with injectable a-tocopherol decreased RFM from 20.1 to 13.5%, decreased incidence of stillbirth from 14.9 to 6.8%, and tended to decrease death by 200 d postpartum. VitE cows tended to have improved pregnancy per insemination at first AI (36.7 vs. 30.1%) because of decreased pregnancy loss from 31 to 62 d of gestation (12.5 vs. 20.5%). Despite a similar insemination rate, VitE cows had 22% greater pregnancy rate than control cows. Cows receiving vitamin E had decreased circulating cortisol and nonesterified fatty acids around calving. In summary, when cows were fed limited amounts of supplemental vitamin E, 28 to 48% of the recommendations, prepartum supplementation with injectable a-tocopherol decreased incidence of RFM and improved reproduction.