Leaky gut is a major cause of loss
Large intestine acidification negatively affects the intestinal wall barrier, resulting in a leaky gut. This results in inflammatory processes that require relatively large amounts of energy in the form of glucose. The result is lower milk production and the development of (transition) diseases or reduced fertility. Moreover, a clear link has been found in ruminants between a leaky gut and foot health problems. A leaky gut is therefore a major cause of forced culling of cows. Improving gut health can therefore help increase life-day production and farm profitability.
New: Selko LactiBute
To improve gut health, Trouw Nutrition introduces LactiBute. This is a patented prebiotic that improves fermentation in the large intestine and reduces the risk of leaky gut. Selko LactiBute is rumen-resistant calcium gluconate, which promotes the conversion of lactic acid to butyrate (butyric acid) by intestinal bacteria. Butyrate strengthens the intestinal barrier, reduces intestinal inflammation and inhibits pathogenic bacteria.
+0.9 kg milk due to better intestinal health
A practical validation test was carried out at 6 Dutch dairy farms for 5 months, involving a total of over 900 animals. Milk volume, protein percentage and protein all increased significantly (see Table 1). Milk fat content remained high despite an increase in milk production. The increase in production thanks to Selko LactiBute was observed for cows at all lactation stages, from early to late lactation.
Table 1: Milk production data per day measured after 60 days from start of study. Significant differences (P<0.05) are shown in bold.
The results found are not surprising and are in line with international studies that also showed an average of 0.9 kg increase in measured milk, per cow per day. This is due to improved intestinal health, which is also an important factor in mid- and late lactation. The higher milk production thanks to Selko LactiBute not only improves the feed balance, it also has health benefits. This includes a smoother start-up of lactation, better fertility and improved foot health.
Application
You can use Selko LactiBute both in the dry period and during lactation to achieve optimal support of intestinal health and milk production. The dosage of Selko LactiBute is 16 g per animal per day in mixed feed or added minerals. A premix (50 g cow/day) is available for administration in the mixer: Maxcare LactiBute Topdress The cost to the farmer is about 16 cents per cow per day. At the current milk price, this means an ROI of >3, even without considering the health benefits. This makes Selko LactiBute a very interesting investment to increase sustainability of the herd and profitability on the dairy farm.
Figure 1: Causes and impact of intestinal acidosis or leaky gut