Effect of feeding an immune modulator to multiparous Holstein cows during the dry period and early lactation on health, milk and reproductive performance

Autor: K. Ferreira, Jimena Laporta, N.I. Barbu, B.D. Davidson, Véronique Ouellet, A.K. Almeida, L.T. Casarotto, J.D. Chapman, D.J. Mclean, D. J. Kirk, K. Moy, Geoffrey E. Dahl
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Animal Feed Science and Technology. 267:114527
ISSN: 0377-8401
DOI: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2020.114527
Popis: In this study we evaluated the effect of feeding an immune modulatory feed additive (OmniGen-AF®; OMN) during the dry period through early lactation on postpartum health, subsequent lactational and reproductive performance of multiparous Holstein cows. We hypothesized that feeding OMN beginning in the dry period and through 150 days in milk (DIM) would improve milk yield and reproductive performance as a result of improved immune response. To test our hypothesis, 1392 multiparous pregnant Holstein cows of a commercial dairy herd were enrolled and randomly assigned at dry-off (47.6 ± 9.4 d before calving) to OMN (n = 706) or control (CON, n = 686) treatments. Both OMN and CON (placebo) supplements were fed once per day at a rate of 56 g/d per head from dry-off through 150 DIM. Cows were milked three times a day and daily milk yield was measured once per week, starting at the second week of lactation through 140 days in milk. Postpartum health disorders were monitored daily throughout the experiment. Cows were bred following a double OvSynch protocol after a 77-d voluntary waiting period (VWP). Final pregnancy status was assessed after supplementation ended at 230 DIM. Our results indicated that cows supplemented with OMN produced more milk than CON (40.8 kg/d vs. 40.1 kg/d; P
Databáze: OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz: