The metabolic profile of late pregnant cows of various ethological activity types

It is known that highly productive animals are extremely sensitive to housing and service conditions changes that lead to serious disorders of endocrine, immune, reproductive and other functions. Integration of the adaptive responses, realized by central nervous system, depends on the higher nervous activity peculiarities. The complex of biochemical and hormonal blood indexes, characterizing metabolic status and stress resistance, were studied in the late pregnant Black and White Holstein-Friesian cows at age of 4-6 years with an average annual dairy efficiency of prior lactation of 7000-8000 kg ( n = 82) and different types of behavior. The concentrations of proteins, urea, creatinine, total lipids, cholesterin, triglyceride, glucose, lactic and pyruvic acids, Ca, P, Mg, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, vitamins A, E, connected with iodine, malonic dialdehyde and total immunoglobulins, activity of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, γ-glutamil transferase, alkaline phosphatase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, bactericidal activity, content of sex (progesterone, estradiol-17β, testosterone), corticosteroid (cortisol) and thyroid (thyroxin, triiodthyronin) hormones were determined in the whole blood and blood serum. The character of labor process was also analyzed. It is shown that infra-passive and ultra-active animals (extreme types) and passive animals (mean types) are identical according to the activity of physiological systems functioning. Cows with mean behavior types are more resistant to natal and postnatal pathologies. Consequently, large-group housing of animals, their periodical translocation from one technological group into another without taking into account typological peculiarities of their nervous systems and behavioral responses lead to decrease of their reproductive (and productive) potential.