The effect of live yeast on rumen fermentation parameter changes over a 4 weeks period in dairy cattle

Publication Type

Contribution to conference

Authors

Staudt K., Steingass H., Scheidemann C., Andrieu S.

Year of publication

2007

Published in

Proceedings: 13th International Conference on Production Diseases In Farm Animals.

Editor

M. Fürll

Pubisher

Merkur Druck und Kopier-Zentrum , Leipzig

ISBN / ISSN / eISSN

978-3-934178-90-8

Page (from - to)

307

Conference name

Production diseases in farm animals

Conference location

Leipzig

Conference date

29.07.2007

Keywords

dairy cow, rumen fermentation

Live yeast supplementation is getting more and more popular in dairy cows diets because of their potential to positively influence rumen fermentation. This experiment examines how the rumen fermentation changes in fistulated dairy cattle over a period of 4 weeks after live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisae CBS 493.94 - YeaSacc®1026) inclusion in the diet. Two fistulated Holstein cows were individually fed and adapted to a standard TMR for 16 days prior to the trial. During the next 4 weeks, the TMR remained unchanged but live yeast (10g/d, minimum 1x109 CFU) was added in the concentrate. TMR was composed from corn silage, grass silage, hay, beet pulp, concentrate, minerals and vitamins (CP 15.4%, CF 16.6%, 6.9 NEL MJ/kg DM). Rumen fluid samples were taken 1 hour before feeding and 1, 3, 5 and 7 hours post-feeding during 3 consecutive days at the end of the adaptation period (control period). In the live yeast period, samples were collected at similar times on 2 consecutive days each week for 4 weeks. VFA, NH3 and lactic acid were measured in rumen fluid samples. All significant differences among treatments were declared at p < 0 .05. Total VFA quantities tended to increase after feeding with a maximum value at 3 to 5 hours after feeding time for both control and live yeast periods. There was no effect of live yeast supplementation length on total VFA concentration after feeding. Live yeast effect on acetate concentration showed a trend to a slight reduction without being significantly different. Average propionate concentration over the live yeast feeding period was numerically higher than control (1 hour post-feeding: 23.8 vs. 25.1 –3h post-feeding: 23.8 vs. 29.9 - 5h post-feeding: 22.3 vs. 30.8 mmol/L respectively for control and live yeast). Lactate levels were lower than detectable 1 hour before and 7 hours after feeding in all treatments. Live yeast addition resulted in a reduced lactate concentration with the greatest reductions reached in weeks 2 to 4 of the experimental period. Average lactate levels were 8.3 vs. 3.2 1h post-feeding and 2.2 vs. 0.4 mmol/L at 5h post-feeding respectively for control and treatment thus showing a significant decrease when live yeast was fed (p < 0 .05). Ammonia levels were numerically decreased with live yeast addition at 1 and 3h post-feeding (13.2 vs. 12.5 at 1h post-feeding and 13.2 vs. 11.7 at 3h post-feeding for control and treatment respectively). This difference reached significance at 1 and 3 hours post-feeding sampling time in week 4 on the experimental period (p < 0 .05). This experiment demonstrated that Saccharomyces cerevisae CBS 493.94 has a positive impact on rumen fermentation parameters by lowering lactic acid and ammonia concentration as well as increasing propionic acid production