- Effects of UV-B light exposure during automatic milking on vitamin D levels in Holstein Friesian cows
- 18 minutes of UVB daily from LEDs, just on the backs– probably better if also shine UVB to the sides
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13 studies in both categories UV and Vet.
Effects of UV-B light exposure during automatic milking on vitamin D levels in Holstein Friesian cows
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Jan 15:11:1433230. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1433230
Jaka Jakob Hodnik 1 2, Marko Jankovec 3, Jožica Ježek 1, Žiga Krušič 4, Stefan Mitterhofer 3, Jože Starič 1
Vitamin D is essential for cattle and can be synthesized in the skin under ultraviolet irradiation. This study investigated the effects of narrow-band UV-B irradiation during automatic milking on blood vitamin D concentration and the influence of hair and black skin areas on cutaneous vitamin D synthesis in Holstein Friesian cows. Fifty-one cows were stratified by milk yield, days after calving, and percentage of black skin, then divided into three groups: shaved and irradiated (80 J/m2), unshaved and irradiated (129-305 J/m2), and a control group. A custom UV-B light (peak radiation at 295 nm) was installed in the milking robot. Blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were measured at baseline, and 7, 30, and 60 days post-exposure using an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay. UV-B exposure significantly (p < 0.001) increased 25(OH)D levels in shaved (13.4 ng/mL), unshaved (10 ng/mL), and control groups (5.1 ng/mL). Despite receiving less than half the UV-B dose, the shaved group had superior 25(OH)D synthesis compared to the unshaved group (p < 0.05), highlighting hair's role in reducing UV-B absorption. Cutaneous synthesis correlated with black skin area in shaved cows but not in unshaved cows. UV-B irradiation also increased daily milk production by 2.2 kg (shaved) and 2.9 kg (unshaved) compared to controls (p < 0.001). UV-B exposure during automatic milking offers a novel, non-disruptive method for enhancing vitamin D levels in dairy cows.
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18 minutes of UVB daily from LEDs, just on the backs– probably better if also shine UVB to the sides
VitaminDWiki -
13 studies in both categories UV and Vet. This list is automatically updated
- UVB shining of backs of cows increased both milk production and Vitamin D in milk – Jan 2025
- Pigs were given ultraviolet light or vitamin D daily – Aug 2024
- UVB not help chickens much (no surprise – shined on feathers, not legs) – March 2023
- More UVB results in more Vitamin D (chimps in zoos in this case) – Oct 2022
- Chicken bones, eggs, and activated vitamin D in eggs increased with 2 hours of daily UVB – Dec 2019
- Vitamin D in eggs increased 4X after UV lighting near legs was added – April 2019
- Insects create Vitamin D from light (similar to most animals) – July 2018
- Ultraviolet B needed for indoor cows to have enough vitamin D in milk – June 2015
- UVB on legs of chickens resulted in 70 IU vitamin D per egg yoke – July 2013
- Even cows need more than 90 minutes in the sun each day – Feb 2012
- Health and Light - Ott 1973
- Reptiles ate as well with all UV sources – Jan 2011
- Some fish can see in UV – Feb 2010
UVB shining of backs of cows increased both milk production and Vitamin D in milk – Jan 202551 visitors, last modified 31 Jan, 2025, This page is in the following categories (# of items in each category)Attached files
ID Name Uploaded Size Downloads 22234 Milk yield.webp admin 31 Jan, 2025 39.12 Kb 20 22233 UVB Cow milk production_CompressPdf.pdf admin 31 Jan, 2025 321.65 Kb 6