Effect of exogenous growth hormone in early and late lactation on lactational performance of dairy cows.

Bovine growth hormone (51.5 IU/day) and placebo injections were administered for 10 days to four Holstein cows in early lactation (wk 12) and again in late lactation (wk 35). Milk productions in the last 5 days of each period were compared. In early lactation, growth hormone increased milk yield by 15%, fat yield by 17%, protein yield by 14%, and lactose yield by 21%. In late lactation the respective increases were 31, 42, 18, and 35%. For responses of early and late lactation to growth hormone on a quantitative basis, increases for milk yield (4.3 versus 3.9 kg/day) and milk energy secretion (3.3 versus 3.4 Mcal/day) were similar. Concurrent with these increased milk yields, ad libitum intakes of a complete mixed diet declined during the period of growth hormone treatment by 3% in early lactation and 16% in late lactation. During the 6 h immediately following injections of growth hormone, blood plasma concentrations of growth hormone were elevated about 400% in early lactation and 700% in late lactation. Concentrations in plasma of free fatty acids were also higher during growth hormone treatment in late lactation but not in early lactation. Treatments did not affect plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, glucagon, prolactin, tri-iodothyronine, thyroxine, or cortisol in either early or late lactation. Daily administration of growth hormone in early or late lactation resulted in similar and substantial increases of milk yield and efficiency of milk production.