scholarly journals Economic impact of polyherbal mixtures containing choline, lysine and methionine on milk production and health of dairy cows

Author(s):  
Nora Idolina Ortega Alvarez ◽  
Germán David Mendoza Martínez ◽  
Ricardo Barcena Gama ◽  
Pedro Abel Hernández García ◽  
Enrique Espinosa Ayala ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic impact of supplementing dairy cows with mixtures of polyherbal products supplying conjugates of choline (BioCholine, BC), lysine (OptiLysine, L) and methionine (OptiMethionine, M), considering the costs of veterinary treatments, the nutraceutical effects of the mixtures, the partial cost and returns of milk production. Eighty postpartum Holstein cows were randomly assigned to individually receive. The pellets no containing (Control, 20 cows) and containing polyherbal products (g/d) (BC20, 19 cows; BC40, 17 cows; BC20+L40+M20, 12 cows, and BC40+L80+M40, 12 cows) were offered to cows during the milking through automatic feeders in the course of 90 days in a commercial farm. Treatment costs were grouped in terms of antibiotics, healing, anti-inflammatories, glucogenics, hormonal, intra-mammary treatments, restorative and vitamins. Milk production was not affected (P>0.05) by polyherbal additives but there were numerical differences in the number of treatments and costs; animal health cost per cow showed a high variation coefficient (average 347%). Cows receiving BC40 and BC20+L40+M20 had reduced animal health cost per cow but only the treatment BC40 showed residual effects post experiment with an economic improvement of 2.1% over the control group, showing benefits associated to a reduction in the number of doses with antibiotics and doses of immune-stimulants. Cows receiving BC40 had the best milk yield numerically in combination with the lower number of animal health costs which resulted in the highest income.

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 230
Author(s):  
G. Romero ◽  
M. Piccardi ◽  
D. Romero ◽  
G. Veneranda ◽  
G. A. Bó

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the reproductive and productive performance of dairy cows with and without puerperal metritis and to evaluate the effectiveness of using a long-acting antibiotic (200 mg mL–1 ceftiofur, Excede, Pfizer Animal Health, New York, NY, USA). Dairy cows in one dairy farm calving from July 2009 to January 2010 were examined between 3 and 14 days postpartum and classified based on vaginal discharge into 3 groups: cows with normal discharge (control); cows with purulent or red-brown vaginal discharge without foul smell, and cows with purulent or red-brown vaginal discharge with foul smell (Sheldon et al. 2006 Theriogenology 65, 1516–1530). Cows in the first 2 groups were not treated, whereas those in the third group were randomly allocated to receive 1 mL/30 kg of body weight of Excede subcutaneously behind the ear or remain untreated. From the 640 cows examined, 372 (58.2%) had normal discharge, 86 (13.4%) had a discharge without foul smell and 182 (28.4%) had a discharge with foul smell. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were obtained to compare pregnancy rates across days postpartum, and differences between curves were tested with the log rank statistic. Proportional hazards regression with PROC PHREG Cox of SAS were done to estimate the risk of pregnancy in terms of treatment, parity (first parity or ≥2 parities), type of delivery (normal or assisted), and milk production. Finally, lactation curves were modeled using SAS PROC NLMIXED to estimate the cumulative milk production at 305 days. Survival curves differed between cows in the control group and those with foul-smell discharge that were not treated (P < 0.01) and between untreated versus treated cows (P < 0.01) in the latter group. Survival curves of cows with discharge but without foul smell were intermediate and did not differ from those in the control group (P = 0.2) and those with foul smell discharge and treated (P = 0.1), but tended to be different from those with foul smell discharge and not treated (P = 0.056). The postpartum interval to achieve a 25% pregnancy rate was 72 days for cows in the control group, 73 days for cows with foul smell and treated, 83 days for cows with discharge without foul smell, and 95 days for those with foul smell and not treated. The chance of pregnancy in cows in the control group was 1.98 times higher (95% CI = 1.33, 3.08) and in cows with foul smell and treated was 2.16 times higher (95% CI = 1.37, 3.50) than those with foul smell and not treated. Finally, the chance of pregnancy in cows with discharge but without a foul smell tended to be higher (P = 0.08) than those with foul smell that were not treated, but did not differ with the other 2 groups. Parity, type of delivery, and production level did not affect pregnancy rates. Cumulative 305-day milk production was higher (P < 0.01) in control cows than those with vaginal discharge, regardless of smell and regardless of treatment. It is concluded that puerperal metritis affects the reproductive and productive performance of dairy cows, and the treatment with Excede was effective in reducing the adverse effects on reproductive performance.


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yizhe Cui ◽  
Zhuorui Shan ◽  
Lintong Hou ◽  
Qiuju Wang ◽  
Juan J. Loor ◽  
...  

This study examined the effect of mixed medicinal herbs from China in the ground form on milk yield and various blood metabolites before and after parturition in Holstein cows. Crushed Agastache rugosus, Scutellaria barbata, Pericarpium citri reticulate, and Radix glycyrrhizae were used to develop TCMF4. Thirty-two Chinese Holstein cows were randomly divided into a control group or groups receiving 0.1, 0.3, or 0.5 kg TCMF4/cow/d from −7 through 21 d relative to parturition. Blood samples for serum isolation were collected at −7, −1, 1, 7, 14, and 21 d relative to parturition and used to measure glucose, β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA), total protein, albumin, globulin, and alkaline phosphatase. Milk production was recorded daily for the first 21 d postpartum, and composition was analyzed at 7, 14, and 21 d. Data were analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for multiple comparisons. The average milk production during the first 21-d postpartum was 28.7 ± 6.9, 27.2 ± 7.1, 31.2 ± 6.8, and 38.5 ± 6.1 kg/d for control group and groups receiving 0.1, 0.3, or 0.5 kg TCMF4. Thus, average daily milk production increased between 9 to 34% by supplementation with TCMF4 compared with the control group. Compared with the control group, in the middle dose group, milk concentrations of lactose and total protein decreased by 21 and 19%, respectively, at d 7 around parturition, while total solids increased by 23% at d 21 in the high-dose group. Furthermore, compared with the control group, serum BHBA decreased by 50 and 20% at d −1 and 21 around parturition in the high-dose group. Overall, TCMF4 supplementation improved dry matter intake (DMI) and milk production of dairy cows during the periparturient period without adverse effects on liver function, and plasma BHBA concentrations of dairy cows tended to decrease when dietary TCMF4 increased, which suggested that TCMF4 might be used as potential additives in dairy cows to improve production performance.


Author(s):  
D. Tristant ◽  
C. A. Moran

SummaryThe following trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of feeding Yea-Sacc® (YS; Alltech Inc, USA), a zootechnical feed additive based on a live probiotic strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to lactating dairy cows over a 12 week period. Sixty-four primiparous and multiparous Holstein dairy cows, grouped to give similar range of parity, physiological and milk production stages, were selected for the study. Cows were equally allocated to either a control feed group or a diet supplemented with YS (32 cows per treatment). The test diet was formulated to include YS (Yea-Sacc® Farm Pak) incorporated in the total mixed ration (TMR), supplying a target dose of 5 × 107 CFU/kg feed dry matter (DM). This target dose delivered 1 × 109 CFU/cow/day, for a cow consuming 20 kg feed (DM basis) daily. Each cow was considered a replicate unit. Cows were fed a nutritionally adequate total TMR plus hay and a supplementary protein/energy concentrate (calculated according to milk yield) for 12 weeks, supplied once a day after the morning milking. Weigh backs of feed were recorded daily, with refusals being maintained at 3% of the total intake. During the 12 week study period, YS had significant beneficial effects on milk production (+0.8 kg/day; P = 0.003), energy corrected milk production (+1.4 kg/day; P < 0.0001), synthesis of milk protein (+36 g/day; P = 0.001), milk protein content (+0.3 g/kg; P = 0.009), and milk urea content (−0.09 mg/l; P = 0.004). The synthesis of milk fat was similar between treatments but milk fat content was lower for the YS group compared to the control group (−1.1 g/kg; P = 0.0002). Lactose content was always higher (+0.8 g/kg; P < 0.0001) for the YS group, indicating enhanced energy utilisation. In general, the effect of YS was higher during the first study period (one to seven weeks), when cows were in early lactation and the production potential was higher. YS cows produced significantly more milk during the study, and an additional 220 kg milk per cow was sold from this group from the output measured from the beginning of the study to two weeks post-trial. However, the statistical analysis including the post-study period did not show a significant effect. The 305-day simulated milk production was higher for the YS group (+400 kg/cow) but again the difference was not significant. In conclusion, YS at a target dose of 5 × 107 CFU/kg DM improved milk production and milk quality in healthy dairy cows. In addition, when the data were included in a whole-farm model, feeding YS reduced methane emissions by 4%, reduced the number of animals required for the desired milk production by 4% and increased overall farm margins by 1.4%.


2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland G Karcagi ◽  
Tibor Gaál ◽  
Piroska Ribiczey ◽  
Gyula Huszenicza ◽  
Ferenc Husvéth

The aim of the study was to test the effect of rumen-inert fat supplements of different chemical forms or containing different unsaturated/saturated (U/S) fatty acid contents on milk production, milk composition and liver and blood metabolic variables of high-yielding dairy cows in the peripartal period. Thirty Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were divided into three equal groups and fed a corn silage-based diet, without fat supplementation (control) or supplemented with 11·75 MJ NEl per day of calcium soaps of palm oil fatty acids (CAS; U/S=61/39) or with 11·75 MJ NEl per day of hydrogenated palm oil triglyceride (HTG; U/S=6/94). Each diet was fed from 25±2 d prior to the expected calving to 100±5 d post partum. Compared with the control, both CAS and HTG supplementation resulted in an increase of the average milk yield. Milk fat content and fat-corrected milk yield were higher in the HTG group but lower in the CAS group than in the control group. In all groups liver triglyceride concentrations (TGL) increased from 15 d prepartum to 5 d post partum, and then decreased thereafter. At 5 d TGL was lower in the HTG group than control or CAS cows. No significant differences were detected in TGL among dietary treatments at 15 d prepartum and 25 d post partum. Higher plasma glucose and insulin and lower non-esterified fattay acids and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations and aspartate aminotransferase activity were measured in the HTG group than in the control or CAS groups at 5 d or 25 d post partum. Our results show that HTG may provide a better energy supply for high-yielding dairy cows in negative energy balance than CAS around calving.


Author(s):  
Anuthida Seankamsorn ◽  
Anusorn Cherdthong ◽  
Sarong So ◽  
Metha Wanapat

The study compared the influence of chitosan sources on rumen fermentation, methane emission and milk production in lactating dairy cows fed a glycerin-based diet. Six, lactating Holstein-Frisian crossbreeds (410 &plusmn; 5.0 kg BW, 120 &plusmn; 21 day-in-milk), were arranged in a 3 x 3 replicated Latin square design. In addition to control, a 2% chitosan extract supplement and a 2% commercial chitosan supplement of dry matter intake were the treatments. The results denoted that no significant differences on daily dry matter, nutrients or estimated energy intake were noted when cows received different sources of chitosan. Nutrient digestibility was not influenced differently by extraction based or commercial chitosan supplements. The pH, temperature, ammonia nitrogen, blood urea and microbial count were similar among treatments. The different sources of chitosan supplements did not change the totals of volatile fatty acids, acetate and butyrate; in contrast, different chitosan sources influenced (P&lt;0.05) propionate content. The ruminal acetate to propionate ratio was markedly (P&lt;0.05) reduced with chitosan supplement, but no change appeared between sources of chitosan. At 4 hours after feeding, the methane estimation significantly decreased with the addition of chitosan supplementation (P&lt;0.05) compared to the control group. The purine derivatives and microbial protein synthesis were not altered by the treatments. No significant differences existed on milk yield, milk composition or milk urea nitrogen when cows received different sources of chitosan (P&gt;0.05). In sum, supplementing extracted chitosan showed more potential than did commercial chitosan for enhancing economic efficiency and recycling shrimp residues, therefore, reducing environmental waste.


2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
D. Romero ◽  
G. Romero ◽  
G. Veneranda ◽  
L. Filippi ◽  
D. Racca ◽  
...  

An experiment was designed to compare pregnancy rates in lactating dairy cows synchronized with a 7-day CIDR-Synch or a 5-day CIDR-Synch program and to determine if the addition of a second prostaglandin F2α (PGF) injection to the 7-day CIDR-Synch program would improve pregnancy rates following fixed-time AI (FTAI). The experiments were performed on 2 dairy farms in Argentina, with year-round calving and a mixed feeding system (35% grazing plus 65% corn silage and grain). Cows (n = 621) were 39.3 ± 6.5 days in milk (DIM, mean ± SD) when they were enrolled in the program, had 2.4 ± 1.5 lactations and a body condition score (BCS) of 3.1 ± 0.2 (range: 2.7 to 4.0). All cows received a pre-synchronization treatment with 2 doses of prostaglandin (PGF, 25 mg of dinoprost, Lutalyse, Pfizer Animal Health, Argentina) 14 days apart, and 11 days after the second PGF (Day 0) received 10 µg of Buserelin (GnRH, Receptal, MSD-Intervet, Argentina) and a CIDR device (1.9 g of progesterone, Pfizer Animal Health). Cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 groups. The CIDR devices were removed and PGF was administered to cows in Groups 1 and 2 on Day 7. A second GnRH was given 56 h later and cows experienced FTAI 16 h after gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) injection (i.e. 72 h after CIDR removal). Cows in Group 2 also received a second PGF injection on the afternoon of Day 7. Cows in Group 3 had the CIDR removed and received 2 PGF injections 12 h apart on Day 5. A second dose of GnRH was given and FTAI was performed at the same time, on Day 8 (i.e. 72 h after CIDR removal). All cows were examined by ultrasonography (Aloka 500V, Aloka, Tokyo, Japan) on the day of the first PGF injection and at CIDR removal to determine the presence and number of corpora lutea (CL), and 30 days after FTAI to determine pregnancy status. Data were analyzed by logistic regression to determine the effects of treatment, parity, days postpartum, milk production, BCS, presence of a CL at enrollment, and number of CL at the time of CIDR removal on pregnancy rates. Overall pregnancy rates did not differ among groups: 32.9% (68/207), 38.2% (78/204), and 38.3% (80/209) for Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P = 0.2). Although the number of CL present at CIDR removal did not significantly affect pregnancy rates (P = 0.4), pregnancy rates in cows with 1 CL in Groups 1 and 2 tended to differ [29.0% (11/38) v. 48.9% (21/43); P < 0.07], but neither differed from that in Group 3 [37.2% (16/43)]. No differences were detected among groups in cows without a CL at CIDR removal [overall pregnancy rate: 29.4% (5/17)] and those with ≥2 CL [overall pregnancy rate: 36.1% (173/479)]. Among the other variables evaluated, first-parity cows had 1.96 (1.38–2.78) times more chance of getting pregnant than second-or-more-parity cows (P = 0.002) and cows with BCS >3 had 1.63 (1.16–2.28) times more chance of getting pregnant than those with BCS <3 (P = 0.003). Finally, herd, days postpartum, milk production, and presence of a CL at enrollment did not significantly affect pregnancy rates. We concluded that the 3 treatments resulted in similar pregnancy rates for lactating dairy cows and that the benefit of adding a second PGF injection to the 7-day protocol was only marginal in cows with 1 CL at CIDR removal.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e1749119607
Author(s):  
Renata Cristina Defiltro ◽  
Patricia Glombowsky ◽  
Lilian Kolling Girardini ◽  
Julcimar Machado Maciel ◽  
Marcelo Vedovatto ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to determine whether the addition of a homeopathic product to dairy cow feed would improve health and production efficiency, as well as composition and quality of milk. The product tested here was produced to stimulate immunity and indirectly to prevent the colonization of the mammary gland by bacteria, thereby decreasing somatic cell counts and bacteria in cow’s milk. Fifty dairy cows were used, divided into two groups: Control (n = 25) and Treated (n = 25). For 90 consecutive days, 50 grams of homeopathic product (treated group) was added to the concentrate; 50 g of the product vehicle (limestone) was added to the concentrate of the control cows. We performed composition and quality analysis on the milk (days 1, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90) as well as blood collection to carry out hematological and metabolism analyses (days 1, 30, 60, and 90). We found that fat content in the milk cows consuming the homeopathic agent was greater than that of the control group. Because of this increased fat content, there was a tendency towards higher total solids content in treated cows. A treatment effect was found in terms of total bacterial count (TBC); that is, there were lower TBCs in milk of treated animals than in control animals. There was a trend of a treatment effect versus day for somatic cell count (SCC); that is, there were lower SCC in animals that consumed the homeopathic on days 15 and 30 of the experiment. There was no difference between groups in terms of milk production; however, there was a negative correlation between milk production and TBC or SCC in the milk of cows that consumed homeopathic product. Animals in the treated group had lower total leukocyte and lymphocyte counts than did the control group, as well as a tendency toward lower neutrophil counts in these animals. Several bacteria were isolated from the cows' milk during the experimental period, with no treatment effect. In particular, we isolated Corynebacterium spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus hyicus in greater numbers of cows compared to other etiologic agents. Based on these results, we conclude that consumption of the homeopathic product by dairy cows had positive effects on milk quality.


Mljekarstvo ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-140
Author(s):  
Radko Loucka ◽  

The aim of this study was to confirm the hypothesis that artificial brushes administered to the rumen can partially replace the function of structural fibre, and increase milk production or quality. To mitigate the risks of feeding low levels of physically effective neutral detergent fibre (peNDF) to cattle, the administration of ruminal mechanical stimulating (RMS) brushes was examined in 22 high-yielding lactating Holstein dairy cows. The cows were divided into an experimental group equipped with RMS brushes and a control group without RMS. Cows were fed four experimental total mixed rations (TMR) consisting of fixed amounts of alfalfa silage, maize silage, rush corn cob mix silage and different proportions of brewer’s grains, concentrate and wheat straw. The TMRs had the following 4 peNDF contents: 10.9 %, 13.0 %, 12.6 % and 14.0 %. The duration of the experiment was 18 weeks. All cows were fed TMRs with a low structural fibre content near levels associated with a risk of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). For the RMS brush group, 3 RMS brushes were inserted orally into the rumen using a special applicator. The effects of RMS brushes on feed intake, rumen fermentation and milk production were evaluated. Ruminal fluid (250 mL) was taken using a stomach tube for pH, volatile fatty acids and ammonia nitrogen analysis. A significant increase was found for the feed intake and milk yield of the RMS group fed the TMRs with 13.0 % peNDF although no relationship between peNDF content and RMS TMRs was found. No significant increase in milk quality, rumen pH or rumen fermentation metabolites was declared for the group with RMS brushes. Although RMS brush technology only partially reduced the requirements for peNDF, it may decrease the risk of SARA.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.A. Bakr ◽  
M.S. Hassan ◽  
N.D. Giadinis ◽  
N. Panousis ◽  
D. Ostojic-Andric ◽  
...  

Data concerning the effect of probiotics supplementation on many parameters concurrently at the same cows are lacking. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae feeding on rumen, blood and milk parameters together in highproducing dairy cattle during the transition and early lactation period. Sixteen clinically healthy Holstein cows were divided into 2 groups: a control group of 6 cows and a probiotics-fed group of 10 cows. Rumen fluid and blood samples were collected 21 days before the expected calving as well as 7, 15, 30, 45 and 60 daysin- milk (DIM). Milk yield for each animal was recorded every 2 weeks. Individual milk samples were collected 15, 30, 45 and 60 DIM. Ruminal pH and rumen ammonia nitrogen were significantly lower, whereas total volatile fatty acids were significantly higher in yeast-fed animals compared with controls throughout the study. Serum concentrations of total proteins and globulins were higher, while albumins were lower in the yeast-treated group. Serum glucose levels were significantly higher in yeast-supplemented animals. Serum triglycerides, high density lipoproteins, and low density lipoproteins concentrations were lower, with cholesterol being significantly lower in the treated group. Milk production and milk fat percentage were higher, whereas milk protein percentage and somatic cell count were decreased in yeast-supplemented cows throughout the study. These results suggest that supplementation of S. cerevisiae to dairy cows rations during transition and early lactation period improve their health and milk production parameters.


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