Herd Alarm Levels for Health, Reproductive, and Production Effects Based on Non-esterified Fatty Acid and Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Concentrations in Dairy Herds

Cows normally visit a state of negative energy balance (NEB) during the transition period in response to decreased dry matter intake and increased energy demands early in lactation. Energy balance is commonly measured with non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations, and several studies have shown that excessive NEB is associated with detrimental health, reproduction, and production effects at the cow-level. The objectives of this study were to determine the herd alarm level for the proportion of sampled cows with elevated metabolites resulting in herd-level effects, and to describe the herd-level prevalence of elevated metabolite concentrations.