The Research Column

Direct-fed microbials (DFM) defined as “live, naturally occurring microorganisms that have been used to improve digest

Bovaer or 3-Nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) is an anti-methanogenic feed additive that inhibits a key enzyme involved in the last step of methane (CH4) production by the rumen methane-producing organisms.

Dairy cattle provide a major benefit to the world through utilizing mostly human inedible feedstuffs into milk and associated dairy products. However, as beneficial as this process has become in modern dairies, it does not occur without potential negatives.

The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE; defined as N output in milk/N consumed) of dairy cows within pasture-based systems is rather low, often less than 25%. Excreted N, in particular the rather high urinary N, may thus be lost to the atmosphere as ammonia and nitrous oxide and to waterways as nitrates.

In dairy cattle, the negative correlation between milk lactose content (LC) and SCC has been reported in various breeds and contexts, and several authors have discussed possible causal relationship and mechanisms responsible for the LC decrease associated with mastitis or high SCC.

There is growing interest in understanding how dietary choices impact health outcomes through their effects on blood metabolites. One such dietary choice is cheese consumption, which has been subject to debate regarding its health implications. Cheese is high in fat, particularly saturated fats, which have historically been associated with cardiovascular disease.

Lameness affects the sustainability of dairy farms due to the impact on animal health and production, which culminates in ethical and economic implications. Despite efforts to reduce lameness in the dairy industry, recent studies reflect that the global average prevalence still ranges from 14% to 36%.

Dairy cattle and calves are regularly transported by calf buyers and to auctions and abattoirs by livestock transport vehicles from about 12,000 dairy farms in the United Kingdom (UK). UK Government guidelines require transport vehicles to be cleaned and disinfected within 24 hours of use or before re-use within that period.

Genetic selection, optimizing feed, inseminations, and housing conditions are among the major strategies aimed at improving production and profit in the dairy industry, with a great number of studies focusing on those topics. Absent from the list is a strategy that explores the ability to control the mineral composition of drinking water.

There are several CH4 (methane) inhibitors on the market with promising but variable results.