The effect of sodium bicarbonate or live yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on the metabolism and production of Lactating dairy cows
Year: 2009
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Recent studies have shown that feeding live yeasts to dairy cows has the ability to moderate ruminal pH.The objective of this study was to compare the effects of feeding live yeasts or sodium bicarbonate, a traditional buffer, on metabolic indices, digestibility of the total mixed ration (TMR) and milk production and composition in lactating dairy cows.Twenty-eight lactating Holstein cows (77 ± 31 days in milk, 39.4 ± 7.2 kg milk/d) were assigned to blocks by milk production, lactation number, and days in milk and randomly allocated to one of three treatments in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design.Treatments were supplementation of 0.021 g of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, strain CNCM I-1077 (containing 20 10 9 cfu/g of product) per kg of TMR dry matter (resulting in 4.2 10 8 cfu/kg TMR dry matter), sodium bicarbonate at 0.93% of TMR (dry matter basis), or no additive.Periods were 28 d in length with the last 7 d of data used for statistical analysis.Cows fed sodium bicarbonate but not yeasts consumed more dry matter than those fed the unsupplemented diet.There was no difference in milk production, 3.5% fat corrected milk, energy corrected milk, or milk components among treatments but the concentration of milk urea nitrogen was greatest for cows fed sodium bicarbonate.Feed efficiency was lower for cows fed sodium bicarbonate or yeasts when compared to those fed the unsupplemented diet.The addition of yeasts or sodium bicarbonate to the diets of lactating dairy cows did not affect the pH of ruminal fluid, feces or urine, or concentrations of serum amyloid A or haptoglobin in blood.Cows supplemented with sodium bicarbonate had lower ix organic matter and dry matter digestibility of the TMR compared to other treatments.The digestibility of neutral detergent fiber was lower for cows fed sodium bicarbonate than those fed the unsupplemented TMR but similar to cows fed live yeasts.The digestion of crude protein was lower in supplemented than unsupplemented diets.The results of this experiment question the benefit of sodium bicarbonate or live yeasts in a balanced, highly digestible diet fed to lactating dairy cows.
Author: Michelle C. Der Bedrosian
Language: English
Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2158056798