Milk yield and composition, body condition, rumen characteristics, and blood metabolites of dairy cows fed diet supplemented with palm oil

Abstract

Background: An addition of rumen-protected fat to the diet of cows may limit negative energy balance and/or shorten its duration, leading to increased milk production with reduced risk of metabolic disorders in dairy cows. The aim of the study was to test the effect of rumen-inert fat supplement of palm oil on milk production, milk composition, rumen characteristics, and metabolic variables of early lactating dairy cows. For this purpose, 24 Holstein-Friesian cows were divided into two equal groups and fed a corn silage-based diet, without palm oil supplementation (control) or with 300 g palm oil (Palm Fat 99, Noack & Co. GmbH, Vienna, Austria) per cow for 8 weeks starting from day 30 after parturition. Milk, rumen, and blood samples were taken three times during experiment at days 30, 58, and 86 of lactation. Body condition scores of cows were determined in the same time periods. Milk yields were measured at the morning and evening milking (6 00 and 18 00 ). Milk samples were analyzed for milk fat and milk protein content. Rumen content was tested for electrochemical reaction. A native slide was prepared for microscopical examination of the rumen protozoa motility that was numerically estimated. Protozoa were counted in whole rumen contents by light microscopy. Blood samples were tested for total protein, albumin, urea, tryglicerides, cholesterol, total bilirubin, beta-hydroxybutyrate, Ca, and P. Results: Compared with the control, palm oil supplementation resulted in an increase of the average milk yield and milk fat content. The loss in body condition was significantly lower in the group fed palm oil than in the control group. Rumen pH, total number, and motility of protozoa in the group fed palm oil were significantly higher than those in the control group. Palm oil supplementation did not influence blood metabolite concentrations except for urea and glucose which were significantly lower and Ca and cholesterol which were significantly higher in the palm oil-supplemented group. Conclusions: Our results indicate that supplementation with palm oil in weeks 4 to 12 postpartum spared postpartum body weight loss, increased milk yield and milk fat content, and had positive effects on rumen characteristics.

Production Performances of Lactating Murrah Buffaloes Supplemented with Soybean Oil

“…The fortnightly average daily DMI (kg/animal/day) as in table 3 Khare et al, (2014); Kirovski et al, (2015) and Sharma et al, (2016). Higher numerical value of SBO is similar with the findings of Tyagi et al, (2009); Singh et al, (2016); Suharti et al, (2017) and Parihar et al, (2018).…”

Evaluating Strategies to Reduce Ruminal Protozoa and Their Impacts on Nutrient Utilization and Animal Performance in Ruminants – A Meta-Analysis

“…Instead, the focus has been on the relationship between the total number of RP, not individual taxa, in relationship to animal performance. Milk fat yields and total RP numbers were greater from Holstein cows supplemented with palm oil than those without supplementation (Kirovski et al, 2015), but the specific protozoa involved were not identified. It was reported that Polyplastron, Entodinium, Isotricha , and Dasytricha persisted in non-lactating dairy cows before and after they were inoculated under subacute ruminal acidosis, but the roles RP play in acidosis has not been fully investigated (Hook et al, 2011).…”

Economics of feeding protected protein and protected fat on crossbred cattle

“…However, T 0 , T1, and T 2 were at par to each other. Sontakke et al (2014) and Kirovski et al (2015) reported increased milk fat per cent by feeding protected fat. Also on supplementation of bypass protein to lactating animals, milk fat percentage increased reported by Sherasia et al (2012) and Amrutkar et al (2014).…”

“…Also supplementation of protected protein and fat before parturition might be reduced the detrimental effects of negative energy balance which might have increased lactation performance. Sontakke et al (2014); Ramteke et al (2014); Kirovski et al (2015) and Yadav et al (2015) were reported significantly increased milk yield by feeding bypass fat. Positive response on milk production performance as a result of feeding protected proteins and amino acids have been observed by ; Vahora et al (2012); Sirohi et al (2013); Amrutkar et al (2014) and Kumar et al (2015) The overall average milk fat percent (Table 4) was significantly higher (P<0.05) in group T 3 (4.52) than T 2 (4.03), T 0 (3.84) and T 1 (3.81).…”