Feed supplements for dairy cattle

Description

The manipulation of rumen fermentation to maximize the efficiency of feed utilization and increase ruminant productivity is of great commercial interest. This chapter reviews the beneficial effects sought through manipulating rumen fermentation in dairy cattle. It then considers a wide variety of approaches, including the use of dietary buffers, antibiotics, fat supplements and plant extracts, and summarizes the potential benefits and limitations of each.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Dietary buffers to control rumen acidity 3 Antibiotics for improved production 4 Fat supplementation 5 Immunological control of the rumen microbial population 6 Plant extracts to manipulate rumen fermentation, boost production and decrease emissions 7 Direct-fed microbials, probiotics and exogenous fibrolytic enzymes 8 Other supplements to control GHG emissions 9 Conclusion 10 Where to look for further information 11 References