PHOTO: WISIUM
NUTRITION ▶▶▶
Nutritional supplements for well performing ruminants
Many farmers are using nutritional supplements to improve digestive functions; promote vitality, health, immunity and reproduction; and maintain a good body balance. A survey done in France in 2019* shows that 45% of farmers are using nutritional supplements.
BY GUILLAUME OLIVIER, MARKETING MANAGER – RUMINANT, WISIUM R 1 24
uminant farming has permanent challenges due to the specific digestive system of ruminants and the fluctuating quantity and quality of forages through- out the year. The management of critical periods is
also an important challenge for the breeder in order to reach good profitability. Each of these key stages requires a specific nutritional intake. Feed supplementation is the process of adding specific nutri- ents to animal feed or rations to increase levels of some nu- trients in the whole diet or make up for a feed deficiency. Nu- tritional supplements are a mixture of selected additives that address zootechnical challenges during a specific phase of an animal’s life, generally during a limited time and with a dosed feed intake per animal. These critical phases can include young growing animals, early or late production and even a non-productive phase. These specialties are developed to re- spond and offer solutions to a specific challenge or situation that may happen in production. Nutritional supplements can be incorporated into compound feed or used in top feeding. Specialised nutritional supplements address seven main ruminant challenges.
Young animal health Calfhood diseases have a major impact on the eco- nomic viability of cattle operations, due to the direct costs of calf losses and treatment, as well as the long-
term effects on performance (Donovan et al., 1998). Many supplements are available on the market to support the im- munity and vitality of young ruminants, such as syringes of immunoglobulins, electrolytes in powder for rehydration or a mix of additives to prevent respiratory and digestive issues.
▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 9, No. 3, 2022
All these solutions are commonly used to improve the first step in life and allow healthy and productive animals in the future.
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Farm management Today, farmers are looking for more work efficien- cies due to constant increases in herd size. Some solutions can be proposed that allow farmers to
avoid a lot of herd manipulation. Boluses that include min- erals, vitamins or plant extracts are a good option, especially for grazing animals. These boluses are designed to release the requirements for as long as the animal has to overcome a critical phase or has specific needs. For example, some boluses can have a long-lasting release of six months for grazing animals with difficult access.
Transition period We know that for dairy cows the transition period of 6–8 weeks around calving is critical: 75% of health problems in dairy cows occur during this time
(James, 2010). Most supplements available on the market for this period are designed to prevent metabolic diseases such as ketosis, hypocalcemia, fatty liver, etc. These products can be in powder or liquid form; for example, some glucose precursors include monopropylen-glycol and/or glycerol.
Fertility Reproductive problems are the most common is- sues that occur in lactating dairy cows, and they can dramatically affect the reproductive potential
of the dairy herd. Poor reproductive performance is a major cause of involuntary culling. It therefore reduces the oppor- tunity for voluntary culling and has a negative influence on the subsequent productivity of a dairy herd (Tegegne, 1989; ILCA, 1998; Kerslake et al., 2018). Nutrition has a major influ- ence on the fertility of dairy cows (Bisinotto, 2012) and it is commonly used as a tool to improve reproduction perfor- mance. Supplements generally include vitamins from group B, beta-carotene and specific trace elements under organic forms.
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