The effect of calcareous marine algae, with or without marine magnesium oxide, and sodium bicarbonate on milk production in mid-lactation dairy cows

摘要

High producing dairy cows consuming highly fermentable diets often experience low rumen pH (Plaizier et al., 2008), initiated by the accumulation of volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid (Whelan et al., 2013). Rumen buffers are commonly added to lactating cow diets to avoid prolonged episodes of low rumen pH and the associated production losses. The addition of sodium bicarbonate (SB) to the diets of high producing dairy cows, as a rumen buffer, has become a regular practice in many parts of the world(Rauch et al., 2012). In recent years' calcareous marine algae (Lithothamnion calcareum) has been used to stabilise rumen pH and improve fermentation (Cruywagen et al., 2015). The objective of this experiment was to evaluate different dietary buffers onthe milk production, milk composition, dry matter intake and feed efficiency of mid-lactation dairy cows.