NEW TRIAL: Actisaf drives feed efficiency in high performing, early lactation cows

A study performed at the University of Nottingham’s Centre for Dairy Science Innovation (CDSI) has found that 10g per day of Actisaf increases milk yield by 2.6 kg/day without affecting dry matter intake (DMI) or having detrimental effects on fertility or cow health.

These significant findings serve as powerful evidence of Actisaf’s role in improving feed efficiency of dairy cows.  

“Up until now in the dairy industry, we have increased milk yields by driving feed intakes,” explained James Ambrose, Technical Manager for Phileo by Lesaffre UK and Ireland. But what these results tell us is that Actisaf is increasing milk yields through improved digestibility of fibre and protein to unlock additional energy from the same amount of feed without jeopardising fertility or cow health. The potential impact of this new data on dairy farming businesses is really exciting.”

The facilities at the CDSI are state of the art, with sand bedded cubicles and robotic milkers for the high performing Holstein-Friesian herd, which averaged 12,500 litres per cow per year prior to the trial.

All of the cows in the trial were fed their normal diet of a partial mixed ration (PMR) silage fed ad lib and concentrate fed through the robot. The PMR consisted of grass silage, maize silage, whole-crop silage, a soya:rape blend, molasses, protected fat and minerals. The treatment group was also fed 10 g/day of Actisaf in the PMR, with the control group receiving a placebo.

The study demonstrated that dietary supplementation with Actisaf significantly increases the yield of energy corrected milk with no associated lift in DMI, thereby significantly improving feed conversion efficiency. This improvement in performance had no negative effects on body condition score, health, methane emissions or fertility, and resulted in a reduction of carbon emissions per litre of energy corrected milk.

Get the details about the trial here...