Effects of Diet and Injection of Bovine Somatotropin on Prepubertal Growth and First-Lactation Milk Yields of Holstein Cows

To determine effects of rapid prepubertal growth on first-lactation milk production, Holstein heifers were randomly assigned to one of three treatments. Thirty-five heifers were fed a standard diet to meet NRC recommendations and produce 0.8 kg of body weight (BW) gain/d (standard). Thirty-five heifers were fed a diet with higher energy (2.8 Mcal of metabolizable energy/kg) and protein (19.7% crude protein; high diet) to produce 1.2 kg of BW gain/d (high). Thirty-five heifers were fed the high diet and injected daily with bovine somatotropin (bST) (25 microg/kg of BW; high-bST). Diets were fed and bST was injected from 135 kg of BW until pregnancy was confirmed. Heifers were inseminated after BW exceeded 363 kg. Pregnant heifers were commingled and fed similar diets through gestation, parturition, and lactation. High and high-bST heifers had greater prebreeding average BW gains than standard heifers. Conversely, standard heifers had a greater average BW gain during gestation than high and high-bST heifers. High and high-bST heifers were approximately 90 d younger than standard heifers at first insemination and first parturition. Postpartum BW, body condition scores, and withers heights at parturition, and calving ease scores were not different among treatments. Standard heifers produced 14% more milk than high heifers but not more than high-bST heifers. The high-protein, high-energy diet decreased age at first parturition and first-lactation milk production, but did not affect reproduction. Injection of bST during the prepubertal growth period combined with the high diet decreased age at first parturition without reducing milk production.