EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF A PREVENTIVE INTRARUMINAL BOLUS PROTOCOL ON PRODUCTIVE, BEHAVIORAL, REPRODUCTIVE, AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS IN DAIRY COWS

Abstract

The transition period represents a critical phase for dairy cows due to the intense metabolic changes associated with parturition and the onset of lactation. This study evaluated the influence of a preventive intraruminal bolus protocol on productive, behavioral, reproductive, and economic indicators. The experiment was conducted on a commercial dairy farm in the state of Paraná, Brazil, with 24 multiparous Holstein cows allocated to control and treated groups based on the sanitary and reproductive history reported by the farm owner. Milk yield, rumination, activity, resting time, reproductive efficiency, and return on investment were evaluated using Linear Mixed Models, the Mann-Whitney test, and survival analysis, with a significance level of 5%. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for milk yield, behavior, or reproductive efficiency. However, an adjusted mean difference of 2.92 L/cow/day was observed between the groups, as well as a significant interaction between treatment and time for some variables. The economic analysis estimated a potential net benefit of R$ 8,566.38, a benefit-cost ratio of 4.97, and a potential ROI of 396.51%. It was concluded that the protocol did not promote statistically significant improvements, although it showed potential economic viability under the evaluated conditions.