Effects of a blend of essential oils on milk yield and feed efficiency of lactating cows

• Published in: Journal of animal science 2016-10, Vol.94, p.718-719
• Main Authors: Guasch, I, Elcoso, G, Zweifel, B, Bach, A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Animal lactation; Cattle; Chemical composition; Computing time; Dairy cattle; Data processing; Essential oils; Eugenol; Feed efficiency; Milk; Milk production; Milking; Proteins; Soybeans; Studies; Supplements; Yield
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163

The objective of this study was to assess the effect on milk yield and feed efficiency of a combination of essential oils for lactating dairy cows. A 56-d experiment was conducted involving 40 Holstein cows (688 ± 87 kg BW, yield 29.1 ± 73.0, and 220 ± 5.2 DIM) and 2 treatments. The study followed a randomized complete block design and lasted 8 wk. Treatments were either no supplementation (Control) or a supplementation of 1 g/d of Agolin Ruminant (Agolin, Switzerland) (AGR). Agolin Ruminant is combination of microencapsulated essential oil compounds (containing coriander oil, geranylacetate, and eugenol). All cows were fed a common TMR containing 15.3% CP, 34.6% NDF, and 1.53 Mcal of ENl/kg that was delivered twice daily. Treatments were applied in the milking parlor using a precision feeding system. The control cows received 300 g of soybean meal at each milking, and AGL cows received 300 g of soybean meal containing 1.66 g/kg of Agolin Ruminant at each milking (twice daily). Individual milk production, milk composition, and feed intake were recorded daily, and feed efficiency was then calculated (as kg of milk/kg of DMI). Treatment was individually applied, and cow was the experimental unit (n = 20). Data were analyzed with a mixed-effects model with repeated measures. Cows on AGL produced more (P < 0.05) milk (31.1 ± 1.02 kg/d) between 25 and 56 d of study than Control cows (29.7 ± 1.02 kg/d), but overall, there were no differences between treatments in milk yield. Milk fat (3.90 ± 0.08%) and milk protein (3.94 ± 0.08%) were not affected by treatment. There were, overall, no differences in DMI (24.8 ± 0.67 kg/d) between treatments, but AGL cows tended (P = 0.06) to consume less feed (24.2 ± 0.94 kg/d) than Control cows (24.8 ± 0.94 kg/d) in several days during the last 23 d of study. As a result, feed efficiency was greater (P < 0.01) in AGL cows (1.33 ± 0.05) for most days after 33 d of study than in Control cows (1.25 ± 0.05). It is concluded that Agolin Ruminant increases milk production after about 3 wk of treatment, and because feed intake does not change or even tends to decrease, feed efficiency increases.