Effects of prepartum vaccination timing relative to pen change with an acidogenic diet on serum and colostrum immunoglobulins in Holstein dairy cows.

The objective of the present study was to assess the effects of prepartum vaccination timing relative to pen change with an acidogenic diet at 28 or 21 d before expected parturition (dpp) on colostral and serum IgG concentrations at calving in pregnant Holstein dairy cows. Pregnant multiparous Holstein cows (n = 308) from one large dairy herd were randomly allocated into 1 of 3 treatment groups at 35 ± 3 dpp: (1) vaccination at 28 dpp and pen change at 21 dpp (V28PC21; n = 108), (2) vaccination and pen change at 28 dpp (V28PC28; n = 99), and (3) vaccination and pen change at 21 dpp (V21PC21; n = 101). An acidogenic diet was fed when cows changed pens at 28 or 21 dpp. Blood and colostral samples were collected within 1 h following parturition. The total number of clinical mastitis (CM) cases within the first 150 d in milk (DIM) were recorded. The V28PC21 cows had greater colostral IgG concentrations at calving (160.4 ± 7.0 g/L) compared with V21PC21 cows (134.4 ± 7.0 g/L), and V28PC28 cows were intermediate (148.3 ± 7.2 g/L). At calving, V28PC21 cows had lower serum IgG concentrations (29.1 ± 1.2 g/L) compared with V21PC21 cows (32.2 ± 1.2 g/L) or V28PC28 cows (32.6 ± 1.3 g/L). Overall, 41% of V21PC21 cows received the booster vaccinations with at least 21 d before actual calving compared with V28PC21 or V28PC28 cows (88 and 86% respectively). The shorter the interval from prepartum booster vaccination to calving, the lower the colostral IgG at calving, regardless of treatment groups. Vaccinating at 28 dpp and pen change with an acidogenic diet at 21 dpp tended to reduce the rate of CM within the first 150 DIM compared with V21PC21. These findings provide evidence that vaccinating cows at 28 dpp, followed by pen change with an acidogenic diet at 21 dpp, improved the concentrations of colostral IgG at calving and tended to reduce the rate of CM. The interaction of prepartum vaccination timing relative to feeding an acidogenic diet should be considered when implementing an effective vaccination program to enhance overall herd health.