Effect of increasing doses of a microencapsulated blend of essential oils on performance of lactating primiparous dairy cows
2009
Spanghero, M. | Robinson, P.H. | Zanfi, C. | Fabbro, E.
This study determined impacts of a commercial blend of microencapsulated essential oils (EO), fed at increasing dose levels to high yielding primiparous dairy cows, on milk yield and composition. Eight pregnant Holstein heifers, selected to have their parturition within a period of 30d, were kept in tie stalls equipped for individual feeding, and with free access to water, from the 7th month of gestation. At an average of 40d postpartum, cows were assigned to one of four dietary EO levels in a replicated 4x4 Latin square design. The experimental diets (i.e., corn silage, fescue hay and a compound feed, 6.5, 4.4 and 8.7kg DM/d respectively) differed only in the addition level of a microencapsulated EO supplement (RumaXol Feed) mixed at different levels into the compound feed (fed at 1kg/cow day) in order to provide 0, 0.32, 0.64 and 0.96g/d of the EO mixture. The experiment had four experimental periods of 21d, with the last 5d used for collection of faeces and urine, for milk yield and composition recording and measurement of cow biometric data. The dietary EO supplementation had no effect on dry matter (DM) intake, water consumptions or faecal DM, while urine density was (P=0.01) lower at the intermediate EO dosages. Digestibility and biometric measures of cows were not modified by EO feeding. The protein content of milk tended (P=0.06) to be higher at the intermediate EO dosages, as did (P=0.05) the milk energy concentration. However milk and milk component yields were not affected by EO feeding level.
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