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. 2024 Apr 3;14(7):1092.
doi: 10.3390/ani14071092.

The Effect of a Direct Fed Microbial on Liveweight and Milk Production in Dairy Cattle

Orlando Ramirez-Garzon  1 , John I Al-Alawneh  2   3 , David Barber  4 , Huanle Liu  5 , Martin Soust  1
Affiliations

The Effect of a Direct Fed Microbial on Liveweight and Milk Production in Dairy Cattle

Orlando Ramirez-Garzon et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

This longitudinal study aimed to quantify the effects of dietary supplementation of a direct-fed microbial (DFM) consisting of three lactobacilli isolates on milk yield, milk fat and protein yields, somatic cell count (SCC), and liveweight in a single dairy herd in Australia. A total of 150 dairy cows were randomly selected based on parity and days in milk and divided into two groups: control (n = 75) and DFM treatment (n = 75). Throughout the study, the two groups of cows were housed separately in a dry lot yard, and each group had their own feeding area. For the DFM treatment group, selected cows in mid-lactation were supplemented with 10 mL/cow/day of the DFM via top dressing of the feed for the remainder of the lactation and through the dry period, extending into subsequent lactation. The control group had no supplementation. The milk yield and liveweight were recorded daily. Milk samples were collected every two months for milk component analysis (fat, protein, and somatic cell count [SCC]). The DFM-treated cows gained more liveweight across the study (19.40 kg, 95% CI 0.44 kg; 38.30 kg, p = 0.05) compared to the control cows. In the second production year, the DFM-treated cows mobilized more liveweight (-6.06 kg, 95% CI -10.49 kg; -1.61 kg, p = 0.01) and produced more milk (0.39 L/d 95% CI 0.10; 0.89, p = 0.05). Over a full lactation, DFM cows yielded at least 258 L (95% CI 252 L; 265 L) more milk than controls. No significant differences were found in fat and protein yield or SCC. This study suggests that consistent and ongoing supplementation with a Lacticaseibacillus- and Lentilactobacillus-based DFM could have a positive effect on milk production, but further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanism.

Keywords: dairy cows; direct-fed microbial; liveweight; milk yield.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors O.R.-G. and M.S. are employees of Terragen Biotech. J.I.A.-A. is employed by the company GCP Veterinary Epidemiology Consulting Pty Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Line plot of predicted marginal milk yield means (A), change in liveweight (B) and their 95% confidence intervals of parity 1 category and parity 2 category in the control group (solid line) and the DFM Group (dashed line) that calved in the 2022/2023 production year and had an average milk production at baseline of 25 L/d and an average liveweight at baseline of 550 kg.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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