Milk producing ability and milk quality indices of Holstein cows against the background of using an organomineral feed supplement

Abstract

The quality of livestock products is largely determined by the level of feeding and physiological condition of farm animals. In commercial dairy farming, the use of feed supplements that optimize metabolic processes and increase productivity is essential. The research goal was to evaluate milk producing ability and milk quality of Holstein cows fed the organomineral feed supplement NaturAgroEcoFauna with their diets. The research and development trial was conducted on the livestock breeding farm of the AO Plempreproduktor Chistyunskiy in the Topchikhinskiy District of the Altai Region. The control group and the trial group of 20 lactating Holstein cows were formed for the study. The animals in the trial group received the organomineral feed supplement NaturAgroEcoFauna in addition to their basic diet for three months at a dose of 250 g per head per day. The milk producing ability was assessed based on test milking, and milk quality indices were determined in a certified laboratory using an infrared analyzer. It was found that the use of the organomineral feed supplement contributed to the average daily milk yield increase in cows of the trial group. The most significant milk yield was observed after the first month of supplementation reaching 11.1% (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Positive but statistically insignificant changes were observed during other periods. The butterfat and protein content in milk in the trial group was slightly higher than that in the control group. These data support the use of the organomineral feed supplement NaturAgroEcoFauna in the diets of lactating Holstein cows.