Use of homeopathic therapy in the rearing phase of Holstein heifers as a strategy to mitigate stress and improve performance until the first lactation

• Grant number: 17/03759-9
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Cooperation agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Arlindo Saran Netto
• Grantee: Thiago Henrique da Silva
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/24602-3 - Effect of injectable trace mineral supplementation on oxidative stress, immune parameters, and reproductive performance in dairy cows undergoing the transition period in heat stress conditions, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

In modern livestock the greatest challenge is increase the efficiency of animal protein production without jeopardize the environment. Furthermore, there is an increase in national and international market demand for the organic production system, which reduces the use of synthetic products such as antibiotics and insecticides, which are potentially harmful to human and animal health through the mechanism of resistance. The current production system consists in improve the efficiency of agricultural lands increasing the density of animals per area, that converges for the use of animals in the confinement system. This fact imposes to animals a different behavior relative by their nature, being thus a potential cause of rearing stress among other like the weaning in young animals. Stress is recognized by decreasing the animal production efficiency leading to decrease of nutrient intake and also by altering the intermediate metabolism causing negative impact on the immune system and, consequently, impairing the productivity. The effect of stress suffered in the youth of an animal can remain throughout its life, become necessary to study resources to mitigate it still in the rearing phase. Some resources have been studied in an attempt to meet the energy requirements imposed by stress and its consequences, however, few studies have demonstrated the potential effect of alternative substances that increase the efficiency of nutrients utilization leading to greater profitability in modern dairy systems and also do not harm the environment. Thus, homeopathic therapy rarely studied, may be a viable alternative for the improvement of animal's performance in the rearing stage and subsequent lactation by acting decreasing the stress caused by the rearing system and weaning. (AU)