Efficacy of a lasalocid supplement in the diet of dairy cows in early lactation in a pasture-based dairy system
C. R. StockdalePrimary Industries Research Victoria (PIRVic), Department of Primary Industries, Kyabram Centre, 120 Cooma Road, Kyabram, Vic. 3620, Australia. Email: richard.stockdale@dpi.vic.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(6) 658-663 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA06196
Submitted: 1 July 2006 Accepted: 19 October 2006 Published: 17 May 2007
Abstract
The lasalocid supplement, Bovatec, was fed to dairy cows at 300 mg of active ingredient for ~3 weeks precalving to up to 16 weeks postcalving in a pasture-based system. Sixty primiparous cows and 120 multiparous cows were allocated to equivalent control and lasalocid groups based on expected calving date, size and previous production history. To facilitate the feeding of the lasalocid, it was mixed with maize silage (~1 kg DM/cow.day) and fed as one feed on a concrete feed pad early in the morning each day before calving and before the afternoon milking during lactation. The control group received the maize silage without lasalocid. Otherwise, the feeding of both groups was exactly the same. The key response associated with adding lasalocid to the diet differed between the primiparous and multiparous cows. Although the average daily milk yield responses to lasalocid were not significant (P > 0.05) at 1.1 and 0.6 kg/cow for the primiparous and multiparous cows, respectively, significant (P < 0.05) increases in the milk yield of the primiparous cows were consistently recorded between weeks 5 and 15 of lactation. With the multiparous cows, there was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the circulating concentrations of serum β-hydroxybutyrate in those fed the lasalocid, with this being related to a tendency (P = 0.087) for these animals to maintain higher body condition scores for much of the early lactation treatment period. There were no other treatment differences of biological importance.
Additional keywords: animal health, blood metabolites, milk composition, milk production.
Acknowledgements
Technical assistance from Marg Jenkin, Stuart Austin, Daryl Wilson and the dairy staff at the Kyabram Centre of the Victorian Department of Primary Industries is acknowledged. Sorn Norng provided advice on statistical analysis.
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