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Effect of phytogenic feed additives (Herb-All- COOL) on milk production and fertility of dairy cows in hot seasons

Article

Last updated: 25 Dec 2024

Subjects

-

Tags

Animal welfare and behavior

Abstract

In the last years several countries suffered from unusual heat waves in summer. High temperature and the related heat stress (HS) diminish the productivity and reproductivity of dairy cows. The aim of this study is to compare the productive and reproductive parameters in dairy cows (n = 250 Holstein cows) supplemented with a phytogenic feed additive (Herb-AllTM COOL in a dose of 12 g/cow/day) with the non-supplemented group (control) (n = 250 Holstein cows) in hot seasons. In the present trial, phytogenic feed additive (PFA) supplementation restored the animals' normal physiological feeding and rumination patterns in Italy (the temperature humidity index “THI" ranged between 77 and 81). It enabled a significant increase in milk production (P ≤ 0.05). This beneficial effect could even last two months after the supplementation was discontinued. In spite of the increase in milk volume, the concentration of the main milk components (milk fat and proteins) remained unchanged. The cows supplemented with PFA were healthier and expressed fewer postpartum complications, requiring fewer medications (-28.5%) and reducing the need to cull high-producing cows later (-40.3%) (P ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, PFA enabled significant improvements in fertility parameters (the period to confirmed pregnancy was reduced by 21.3%, the success rate at first insemination was more than doubled (+106.9%), and the total success rate after insemination was improved by 41.4%, where more than 68% of the cows were successfully inseminated) (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, PFA supplementation of dairy cows was capable of restoring both reproductive and lactational potential to thermoneutral levels.

DOI

10.21608/javs.2024.337719.1466

Keywords

dairy cows, Herb-All-COOL, heat stress, Italy, phytogenic feed additive, Reproduction

Authors

First Name

Fayed

Last Name

R.H.

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt

Email

rhfayed@cu.edu.eg

City

Giza

Orcid

0000-0003-0737-1456

First Name

Basma

Last Name

Bawish

MiddleName

M.

Affiliation

Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Email

basmabawish@cu.edu.eg

City

Cairo

Orcid

0000-0001-6642-2394

First Name

Kim

Last Name

Rüegge

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Scientific Consultant , Santural GmbH, Zürich, Switzerland

Email

k.ruegge@tnh-group.com

City

Zürich

Orcid

-

Related Issue

-2

Receive Date

2024-11-19

Publish Date

2024-12-18

Print ISSN

1687-4072

Online ISSN

2090-3308

Link

https://javs.journals.ekb.eg/article_397720.html

Detail API

https://javs.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=397720

Order

9

Type

Original Article

Type Code

1,095

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Journal of Applied Veterinary Sciences

Publication Link

https://javs.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Effect of phytogenic feed additives (Herb-All- COOL) on milk production and fertility of dairy cows in hot seasons

Details

Type

Article

Created At

25 Dec 2024