Effects of supplemental butyrate and weaning on rumen fermentation in Holstein calves

Abstract

tended to have a greater total VFA concentration (35.60 ± 11.4 vs. 11.90 ± 11.8 mM) but mean rumen pH was unaffected (6.25 ± 0.22 vs. 6.17 ± 0.21, respectively). Between PRE-S (wk 6) and POST-S (wk 9), calf starter intake increased (250 ± 219 vs. 2,239 ± 219 g/d), total VFA concentrations increased (35.6 ± 11.4 vs. 154.4 ± 11.8 mM), but mean rumen pH was unaffected (6.25 ± 0.22 vs. 6.40 ± 0.22, respectively). Compared with POST-S, POST-B calves had greater starter intake in wk 7, 8, and 9, but POST-B tended to have lower total VFA concentration (131.0 ± 11.8 vs. 154.4 ± 11.8 mM) and lower mean ruminal pH (5.83 ± 0.21 vs. 6.40 ± 0.22). In conclusion, the weaning transition does not appear to affect rumen pH and VFA profile, but supplementing rumen-protected butyrate during the weaning transition increased starter intake and average daily gain. Further, these data suggest that the ability of the rumen to manage rumen pH changes fundamentally postweaning. Why weaned calves with lower rumen pH can achieve higher calf starter intakes is unclear; these data suggest the effect of rumen pH on feed intake differs between calves and cows.

Sodium butyrate attenuated iE‐DAP induced inflammatory response in the mammary glands of dairy goats fed high‐concentrate diet

“…As a feed additive, butyrate and its derivates have positive effects on animal health and production 31 . Studies further showed that butyrate supplementation increased starter intake and average daily gain in calves 32 and promoted milk fat production of lactating dairy cows 33 . Meanwhile, our previous study indicated that the SB supplementation was able to maintain the rumen pH to a certain extent and mitigated HC‐induced SARA 10 .…”

Supplementation with sodium butyrate improves growth and antioxidant function in dairy calves before weaning

“…Several studies have reported different modes of action of SB supplementation in young animals. One study suggested that butyrate might enhance growth performance in young calves by improved feed digestibility [36], while another study proposed that butyrate might enhance the absorption capacity of nutrients by increasing the depth of the crypts and the length of small intestine villi, thus increasing the absorptive surface area, in rats and pigs [37]. In newborn calves, SB was shown to stimulate the development of the rumen [24] and small intestines [25] and enhance the maturation of the intestinal tract (including increased villus size and activities of digestive enzymes) [12].…”

Supplementation with sodium butyrate improves growth and antioxidant function in dairy calves before weaning

“…In the rumen, butyrate confers multiple protective bene ts, such as improving tight junctions, epithelial energy mobilization, and VFA absorption capacity [2]. Studies have shown that butyric acid could lower the rumen pH of calves [38], which can promote the GI colonization with bene cial bacteria [13]. However, our study showed that SB did not affect the rumen pH of the calves, probably because most of the SB bypassed the rumen together with the ingested liquid feed, and DMI, either total or starter, was not affected.…”