Field Study of the Impact of Supplementation with Probiotic Yeast (<i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> Sc47-CNCM I-4407) on Reproductive Performance in Dairy Cows

Abstract

Probiotic yeasts are used widely today in the diets of dairy cows with a high production potential. Various studies have researched the effects of live yeasts, in particular Saccharomyces cerevisiae, on digestion, metabolism and performance in dairy cows. The present study aims at evaluating the beneficial effects of using probiotic yeast in dairy cattle farms as a means of improving the breeding performance of milking cows. A group of 14 dairy cattle farms, with at least 40 dairy cows, was selected for the study, all of them using artificial insemination (AI) and that had not used probiotics in the two milking years preceding the study. On these farms, the lactating cows received probiotic yeast supplementation (5 g/cow/day, Actisaf ® , Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sc47-CNCM I-4407, 1.10 10 CFU/g, Phileo Lesaffre Animal Care,