Rumen microbial responses to supplemental nitrate. II. Potential interactions with live yeast culture on the prokaryotic community and methanogenesis in continuous culture

Nitrates have been fed to ruminants, including dairy cows, as an electron sink to mitigate CH₄ emissions. In the NO₃^? reduction process, NO₂^? can accumulate, which could directly inhibit methanogens and possibly other microbes in the rumen. Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast was hypothesized to decrease NO₂^? through direct reduction or indirectly by stimulating the bacterium Selenomonas ruminantium, which is among the ruminal bacteria most well characterized to reduce both NO₃^? and NO₂^?. Ruminal fluid was incubated in continuous cultures fed diets without or with NaNO₃ (1.5% of diet dry matter; i.e., 1.09% NO₃^?) and without or with live yeast culture (LYC) fed at a recommended 0.010 g/d (scaled from cattle to fermentor intakes) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments with LYC had increased NDF digestibility and acetate:propionate by increasing acetate molar proportion but tended to decrease total VFA production. The main effect of NO₃^? increased acetate:propionate by increasing acetate molar proportion; NO₃^? also decreased molar proportions of isobutyrate and butyrate. Both NO₃^? and LYC shifted bacterial community composition (based on relative sequence abundance of 16S rRNA genes). An interaction occurred such that NO₃^? decreased valerate molar proportion only when no LYC was added. Nitrate decreased daily CH₄ emissions by 29%. However, treatment × time interactions were present for both CH₄ and H₂ emission from the headspace; CH₄ was decreased by the main effect of NO₃^? until 6 h postfeeding, but NO₃^? and LYC decreased H₂ emission up to 4 h postfeeding. As expected, NO₃^? decreased methane emissions in continuous cultures; however, contrary to expectations, LYC did not attenuate NO₂^? accumulation.     

Effect of active dry yeast on lactation performance,methane production,and ruminal fermentation patterns in early-lactating Holstein cows

This study was conducted to examine the effect of active dry yeast (ADY) supplementation on lactation performance, ruminal fermentation patterns, and CH₄ emissions and to determine an optimal ADY dose. Sixty Holstein dairy cows in early lactation (52 ± 1.2 DIM) were used in a randomized complete design. Cows were blocked by parity (2.1 ± 0.2), milk production (35 ± 4.6 kg/d), and body weight (642 ± 53 kg) and assigned to 1 of 4 treatments. Cows were fed ADY at doses of 0, 10, 20, or 30 g/d per head for 91 d, with 84 d for adaptation and 7 d for sampling. Although dry matter intake was not affected by ADY supplementation, the yield of actual milk, 4% fat-corrected milk, milk fat yield, and feed efficiency increased quadratically with increasing ADY supplementation. Yields of milk protein and lactose increased linearly with increasing ADY doses, whereas milk urea nitrogen concentration and somatic cell count decreased quadratically. Ruminal pH and ammonia concentration were not affected by ADY supplementation, whereas ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acid increased quadratically. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, nonfiber carbohydrate, and crude protein increased quadratically with increasing ADY supplementation. Supplementation of ADY did not affect blood concentration of total protein, triglyceride, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, whereas blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol, and nonesterified fatty acid concentrations decreased quadratically with increasing ADY supplementation. Methane production was not affected by ADY supplementation when expressed as grams per day or per kilogram of actual milk yield, dry matter intake, digested organic matter, and digested nonfiber carbohydrate, whereas a trend of linear and quadratic decrease of CH₄ production was observed when expressed as grams per kilogram of fat-corrected milk and digested neutral detergent fiber. In conclusion, feeding ADY to early-lactating cows improved lactation performance by increasing nutrient digestibility. The optimal ADY dose should be 20 g/d per head.     

Effects of yeast culture and galacto-oligosaccharides on ruminal fermentation in holstein cows

Four nonlactating, ruminally cannulated Holstein cows were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design, balanced for residual effects, to evaluate the effects of supplementing dairy cow diets with yeast culture (Trichosporon sericeum; YC), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), or the mixture of YC and GOS on ruminal fermentation, microbial N supply, in situ degradation, and energy and nitrogen metabolism. Treatments were arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial as follows: 1) basal diet, 2) basal diet plus 10 g/d YC, 3) basal diet plus 2% GOS, 4) basal diet plus a mixture of 10 g/d YC and 2% GOS. Nitrogen losses in urine were lower, and retained N was higher, for cows supplemented with a mixture of YC and GOS. Ruminal pH was lower in cows supplemented with GOS alone compared with other treatments. Total VFA concentration was higher in cows fed control and GOS-supplemented diets than in those fed YC containing diets. The molar proportion of propionate was higher, and the molar proportion of acetate was lower, in cows fed control diets. Microbial N supply was higher in cows fed control diets. There were no major positive effects of supplements observed in this study. However, supplementation of a mixture of YC and GOS had a tendency for synergistic effects on N metabolism and in situ degradation of a soluble fraction of oat straw DM and CP of concentrates compared with supplementation of YC or GOS alone.     

Effect of dried oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) plant material in feed on methane production,rumen fermentation,nutrient digestibility,and milk fatty acid composition in dairy cows

Essential oils (EO) from oregano may have antimicrobial properties, potentially representing a methane mitigation strategy suitable for organic production. This study aimed to (1) examine the potential of oregano in lowering enteric methane production of dairy cows fed differing levels of dried oregano (Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum) plant material containing high levels of EO; (2) determine whether differing levels of dried oregano plant material of another subspecies (Origanum vulgare ssp. vulgare) with naturally low levels of EO in feed affected enteric methane production; and (3) evaluate the effect of various levels of the 2 oregano subspecies (containing high or low levels of EO) in feed on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, and milk fatty acids. Each experiment had a 4 × 4 Latin square design using 4 lactating Danish Holstein dairy cows that had rumen, duodenal, and ileal cannulas and were fed 4 different levels of oregano. Experiment 1 used low EO oregano [0.12% EO of oregano dry matter (DM)] and evaluated a control (C) diet with no oregano and 3 oregano diets with 18 (low; L), 36 (medium; M), and 53 g of oregano DM/kg of dietary DM (high; H). Experiment 2 used high EO oregano (4.21% EO of oregano DM) with 0, 7, 14, and 21 g of oregano DM/kg of dietary DM for C, L, M, and H, respectively. Oregano was added to the diets by substituting grass/clover silage on a DM basis. Low or high EO oregano in feed did not affect dry matter intake (DMI) or methane production (grams per day, grams per kilogram of DMI, grams per kilogram of energy-corrected milk, and percentage of gross energy intake). Rumen fermentation was slightly affected by diet in experiment 1, but was not affected by diet in experiment 2. In both experiments, the apparent total-tract digestibility of DM, organic matter, and neutral detergent fiber decreased linearly and cubically (a cubic response was not observed for neutral detergent fiber) with increasing dietary oregano content, while milk fatty acids were slightly affected. In conclusion, dried oregano plant material with either high or low levels of EO did not lower the methane production of dairy cows over 4 consecutive days, and no substantial effects were observed on rumen fermentation or nutrient digestibility. This conclusion regarding methane production is in contrast with literature and requires further study.     

Linseed oil and DGAT1 K232A polymorphism: Effects on methane emission,energy and nitrogen metabolism,lactation performance,ruminal fermentation,and rumen microbial composition of Holstein-Friesian cows

Complex interactions between rumen microbiota, cow genetics, and diet composition may exist. Therefore, the effect of linseed oil, DGAT1 K232A polymorphism (DGAT1), and the interaction between linseed oil and DGAT1 on CH₄ and H₂ emission, energy and N metabolism, lactation performance, ruminal fermentation, and rumen bacterial and archaeal composition was investigated. Twenty-four lactating Holstein-Friesian cows (i.e., 12 with DGAT1 KK genotype and 12 with DGAT1 AA genotype) were fed 2 diets in a crossover design: a control diet and a linseed oil diet (LSO) with a difference of 22 g/kg of dry matter (DM) in fat content between the 2 diets. Both diets consisted of 40% corn silage, 30% grass silage, and 30% concentrates (DM basis). Apparent digestibility, lactation performance, N and energy balance, and CH₄ emission were measured in climate respiration chambers, and rumen fluid samples were collected using the oral stomach tube technique. No linseed oil by DGAT1 interactions were observed for digestibility, milk production and composition, energy and N balance, CH₄ and H₂ emissions, and rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations. The DGAT1 KK genotype was associated with a lower proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in milk fat, and with a higher milk fat and protein content, and proportion of saturated fatty acids in milk fat compared with the DGAT1 AA genotype, whereas the fat- and protein-corrected milk yield was unaffected by DGAT1. Also, DGAT1 did not affect nutrient digestibility, CH₄ or H₂ emission, ruminal fermentation or ruminal archaeal and bacterial concentrations. Rumen bacterial and archaeal composition was also unaffected in terms of the whole community, whereas at the genus level the relative abundances of some bacterial genera were found to be affected by DGAT1. The DGAT1 KK genotype was associated with a lower metabolizability (i.e., ratio of metabolizable to gross energy intake), and with a tendency for a lower milk N efficiency compared with the DGAT1 AA genotype. The LSO diet tended to decrease CH₄ production (g/d) by 8%, and significantly decreased CH₄ yield (g/kg of DM intake) by 6% and CH₄ intensity (g/kg of fat- and protein-corrected milk) by 11%, but did not affect H₂ emission. The LSO diet also decreased ruminal acetate molar proportion, the acetate to propionate ratio, and the archaea to bacteria ratio, whereas ruminal propionate molar proportion and milk N efficiency increased. Ruminal bacterial and archaeal composition tended to be affected by diet in terms of the whole community, with several bacterial genera found to be significantly affected by diet. These results indicate that DGAT1 does not affect enteric CH₄ emission and production pathways, but that it does affect traits other than lactation characteristics, including metabolizability, N efficiency, and the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium. Additionally, linseed oil reduces CH₄ emission independent of DGAT1 and affects the rumen microbiota and its fermentative activity.     

Long-term effects of feeding monensin on methane production in lactating dairy cows

The objective of this study was to determine the long-term effects of feeding monensin on methane (CH₄) production in lactating dairy cows. Twenty-four lactating Holstein dairy cows (1.46 ± 0.17 parity; 620 ± 5.9 kg of live weight; 92.5 ± 2.62 d in milk) housed in a tie-stall facility were used in the study. The study was conducted as paired comparisons in a completely randomized design with repeated measurements in a color-coded, double-blind experiment. The cows were paired by parity and days in milk and allocated to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) the regular milking cow total mixed ration (TMR) with a forage-to-concentrate ratio of 60:40 (control TMR; placebo premix) vs. a medicated TMR (monensin TMR; regular TMR + 24 mg of Rumensin Premix/kg of dry matter) fed ad libitum. The animals were fed and milked twice daily (feeding at 0830 and 1300 h; milking at 0500 and 1500 h) and CH₄ production was measured prior to introducing the treatments and monthly thereafter for 6 mo using an open-circuit indirect calorimetry system. Monensin reduced CH₄ production by 7% (expressed as grams per day) and by 9% (expressed as grams per kilogram of body weight), which were sustained for 6 mo (mean, 458.7 vs. 428.7 ± 7.75 g/d and 0.738 vs. 0.675 ± 0.0141, control vs. monensin, respectively). Monensin reduced milk fat percentage by 9% (3.90 vs. 3.53 ± 0.098%, control vs. monensin, respectively) and reduced milk protein by 4% (3.37 vs. 3.23 ± 0.031%, control vs. monensin, respectively). Monensin did not affect the dry matter intake or milk yield of the cows. These results suggest that medicating a 60:40 forage-to-concentrate TMR with 24 mg of Rumensin Premix/kg of dry matter is a viable strategy for reducing CH₄ production in lactating Holstein dairy cows.     

Rumen microbial responses to supplemental nitrate. I. Yeast growth and protozoal chemotaxis in vitro as affected by nitrate and nitrite concentrations

Nitrates have been fed to ruminants, including dairy cows, as an electron sink to mitigate CH₄ emissions. In the NO₃^? reduction process, NO₂^? can accumulate, which could directly inhibit methanogens and some bacteria. However, little information is available on eukaryotic microbes in the rumen. Protozoa were hypothesized to enhance nitrate reductase but also have more circling swimming behavior, and the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was hypothesized to lessen NO₂^? accumulation. In the first experiment, a culture of S. cerevisiae strain 1026 was evaluated under 3 growth phases: aerobic, anoxic, or transition to anoxic culture. Each phase was evaluated with a control or 1 of 3 isonitrogenous doses, including NO₃^?, NO₂^?, or NH₄⁺ replacing peptone in the medium. Gas head phase, NO₃^?, or NH₄⁺ did not influence culture growth, but increasing NO₂^? concentration increasingly inhibited yeast growth. In experiment 2, rumen fluid was harvested and incubated for 3 h in 2 concentrations of NO₃^?, NO₂^?, or sodium nitroprusside before assessing chemotaxis of protozoa toward glucose or peptides. Increasing NO₂^? concentration decreased chemotaxis by isotrichids toward glucose or peptides and decreased chemotaxis by entodiniomorphids but only toward peptides. Live yeast culture was inhibited dose-responsively by NO₂^? and does not seem to be a viable mechanism to prevent NO₂^? accumulation in the rumen, whereas a role for protozoal nitrate reductase and NO₂^? influencing signal transduction requires further research.     

Prediction of methane emission from lactating dairy cows using milk fatty acids and mid‐infrared spectroscopy

Enteric methane (CH₄) production is among the main targets of greenhouse gas mitigation practices for the dairy industry. A simple, robust and inexpensive measurement technique applicable on a large scale to estimate CH₄ emission from dairy cattle would therefore be valuable. Milk fatty acids (MFA) are related to CH₄ production because of the common biochemical pathway between CH₄ and fatty acids in the rumen. A summary of studies that investigated the predictive power of MFA composition for CH₄ emission indicated good potential, with predictive power ranging between 47% and 95%. Until recently, gas chromatography (GC) was the principal method used to determine the MFA profile, but GC is unsuitable for routine analysis. This has led to the application of mid‐infrared (MIR) spectroscopy. The major advantages of using MIR spectroscopy to predict CH₄ emission include its simplicity and potential practical application at large scale. Disadvantages include the inability to predict important MFA for CH₄ prediction, and the moderate predictive power for CH₄ emission. It may not be sufficient to predict CH₄ emission based on MIR alone. Integration with other factors, like feed intake, nutrient composition of the feed, parity, and lactation stage may improve the prediction of CH₄ emission using MIR spectra. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Short communication: Production performance and nutrient digestibility of lactating dairy cows fed diets with and without addition of a live-yeast supplement

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of a live-yeast product when feeding relatively high-forage diets to high-producing cows in mid lactation. Eight primiparous [607 ± 43 kg of body weight (BW) and 130 ± 16 d in milk (DIM) at the beginning of the experiment] and 16 multiparous (706 ± 63 kg of BW and 137 ± 22 DIM at the beginning of the experiment) Holstein cows were blocked by parity and DIM, and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 diets (control vs. yeast) for a 12-wk period according to a randomized complete block design. The formulated diets contained 50.4% corn silage, 10.4% alfalfa hay, and 39.2% concentrate. The yeast diet was formulated to provide approximately 5.4 × 10¹¹ cfu/d of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (BeneSacc; Global Nutritech Biotechnology LLC, Richmond, VA). Total-tract nutrient digestibility was estimated using 240-h undigested neutral detergent fiber (NDF) as an internal marker. Supplementing live yeast to lactating dairy cows did not affect dry matter intake (25.0 kg/d), milk yield (38.6 kg/d), milk fat concentration (4.78%), milk fat yield (1.83 kg/d), milk protein concentration (3.09%), milk protein yield (1.18 kg/d), milk lactose concentration (4.79%), milk lactose yield (1.84 kg/d), BW gain (?0.05 kg/d), or body condition score gain (0.16 units). The digestibility of dry matter was greater for the control treatment than for the yeast treatment (69.3 and 67.1%, respectively), but the digestibilities of crude protein (61.5%), NDF (40.5%), and starch (98.6%) were not affected by treatment. In conclusion, supplementation of live yeast did not affect production performance or nutrient digestibility of high-producing cows in mid lactation. The reasons for the lack of effect are not clear, but an evaluation of interactions between yeast and rumen buffer supplementation is warranted.     

Short communication: Genetic correlations between methane and milk production,conformation, and functional traits

Livestock produce CH₄, contributing to the global warming effect. One of the currently investigated solutions to reduce CH₄ production is selective breeding. The goal of this study was to estimate the genetic correlations between CH₄ and milk production, conformation, and functional traits used in the selection index for Polish-Holstein cows. In total, 34,429 daily CH₄ production observations collected from 483 cows were available, out of which 281 cows were genotyped. The CH₄ was measured using a so-called sniffer device installed in an automated milking system. Breeding values for CH₄ were estimated with the use of single-step genomic BLUP, and breeding values for remaining traits were obtained from the Polish national genomic evaluation. Genetic correlations between CH₄ production and remaining traits were estimated using bivariate analyses. The estimated genetic correlations were in general low. The highest values were estimated for fat yield (0.21), milk yield (0.15), chest width (0.15), size (0.15), dairy strength (0.11), and somatic cell count (0.11). These estimates, as opposed to estimates for the remaining traits, were significantly different from zero.     

The effect of oilseeds in diets of lactating cows on milk production and methane emissions

Thirty-six lactating multiparous Holstein cows were assigned to diets that contained 2.3, 4.0, and 5.6% fat for an entire lactation to determine the effect of oilseeds on milk composition, production, and methane emissions. The diets were formulated so that whole cottonseeds and canola oilseeds provided equal amounts of added fat. Methane emissions were measured every 3 mo from two replicates of four cows per treatment using a room tracer approach. Dry matter intakes and yields of milk and FCM were greater for cows fed the diets containing oilseeds. Although the concentration of protein in milk was reduced, yields of both protein and fat tended to be increased by the addition of fat. Within the milk fat, the concentrations of C10, C12, C14:0, and C16:0 were reduced and concentrations of C18, C18:1, and trans-C18:1 were increased in response to dietary oilseeds. In serum, urea-N was increased by the dietary oilseeds. Supplementation of diets with oilseeds did not affect methane emissions but tended to increase the efficiency of milk produced per unit of methane emitted. A 1.7% addition of fat to the control diet from a combination of oilseed types increased yields of milk without reducing methane emission rates. The strategy of using unsaturated fats from oilseeds to substantially reduce methane emissions was ineffective, although yield of milk was increased.     

Methane production,ruminal fermentation characteristics,nutrient digestibility,nitrogen excretion,and milk production of dairy cows fed conventional or brown midrib corn silage

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of replacing conventional corn silage (CCS) with brown midrib corn silage (BMCS) in dairy cow diets on enteric CH₄ emission, nutrient intake, digestibility, ruminal fermentation characteristics, milk production, and N excretion. Sixteen rumen-cannulated lactating cows used in a crossover design (35-d periods) were fed (ad libitum) a total mixed ration (forage:concentrate ratio = 65:35, dry matter basis) based (59% dry matter) on either CCS or BMCS. Dry matter intake and milk yield increased when cows were fed BMCS instead of CCS. Of the milk components, only milk fat content slightly decreased when cows were fed the BMCS-based diet compared with when fed the CCS-based diet (3.81 vs. 3.92%). Compared with CCS, feeding BMCS to cows increased yields of milk protein and milk fat. Ruminal pH, protozoa numbers, total VFA concentration, and molar proportions of acetate and propionate were similar between cows fed BMCS and those fed CCS. Daily enteric CH₄ emission (g/d) was unaffected by dietary treatments, but CH₄ production expressed as a proportion of gross energy intake or on milk yield basis was lower for cows fed the BMCS-based diet than for cows fed the CCS-based diet. A decline in manure N excretion and a shift in N excretion from urine to feces were observed when BMCS replaced CCS in the diet, suggesting reduced potential of manure N volatilization. Results from this study show that improving fiber quality of corn silage in dairy cow diets through using brown midrib trait cultivar can reduce enteric CH₄ emissions as well as potential emissions of NH₃ and N₂O from manure. However, CH₄ emissions during manure storage may increase due to excretion of degradable OM when BMCS diet is fed, which merits further investigation.     

Enteric methane emission,milk production,and composition of dairy cows fed 3-nitrooxypropanol

This study examined the effect of 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), an investigational substance, on enteric methane emission, milk production, and composition in Holstein dairy cows. Following a 3-wk covariate period, 48 multi- and primiparous cows averaging (± standard deviation) 118 ± 28 d in milk, 43.4 ± 8 kg/d milk yield, and 594 ± 57 kg of body weight were blocked based on days in milk, milk yield, and enteric methane emission and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups: (1) control, no 3-NOP, and (2) 3-NOP applied at 60 mg/kg feed dry matter. Inclusion of 3-NOP was through the total mixed ration and fed for 15 consecutive weeks. Cows were housed in a freestall barn equipped with a Calan Broadbent Feeding System (American Calan Inc., Northwood, NH) for monitoring individual dry matter intake and fed ad libitum once daily. Enteric gaseous emissions (methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen) were measured using 3 GreenFeed (C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD) units. Dry matter intake, cow body weight, and body weight change were not affected by 3-NOP. Compared with the control group, 3-NOP applied at 60 mg/kg feed dry matter decreased daily methane emission, emission yield, and emission intensity by 26, 27, and 29%, respectively. Enteric emission of carbon dioxide was not affected, and hydrogen emission was increased 6-fold by 3-NOP. Administration of 3-NOP had no effect on milk and energy-corrected milk yields and feed efficiency, increased milk fat and milk urea nitrogen concentrations, and increased milk fat yield but had no other effects on milk components. Concentration of C6:0 and C8:0 and the sum of saturated fatty acids in milk fat were increased by 3-NOP. Total trans fatty acids and the sum of polyunsaturated fatty acids were decreased by 3-NOP. In this experiment, 3-NOP decreased enteric methane daily emission, yield, and intensity without affecting dry matter intake and milk yield, but increased milk fat in high-producing dairy cows.     

Effects of a combination of feed additives on methane production, diet digestibility, and animal performance in lactating dairy cows

Two experiments were conducted to assess the effects of a mixture of dietary additives on enteric methane production, rumen fermentation, diet digestibility, energy balance, and animal performance in lactating dairy cows. Identical diets were fed in both experiments. The mixture of feed additives investigated contained lauric acid, myristic acid, linseed oil, and calcium fumarate. These additives were included at 0.4, 1.2, 1.5, and 0.7% of dietary dry matter, respectively (treatment ADD). Experimental fat sources were exchanged for a rumen inert source of fat in the control diet (treatment CON) to maintain isolipidic rations. Cows (experiment 1, n = 20; experiment 2, n = 12) were fed restricted amounts of feed to avoid confounding effects of dry matter intake on methane production. In experiment 1, methane production and energy balance were studied using open-circuit indirect calorimetry. In experiment 2, 10 rumen-fistulated animals were used to measure rumen fermentation characteristics. In both experiments animal performance was monitored. The inclusion of dietary additives decreased methane emissions (g/d) by 10%. Milk yield and milk fat content tended to be lower for ADD in experiment 1. In experiment 2, milk production was not affected by ADD, but milk fat content was lower. Fat- and protein-corrected milk was lower for ADD in both experiments. Milk urea nitrogen content was lowered by ADD in experiment 1 and tended to be lower in experiment 2. Apparent total tract digestibility of fat, but not that of starch or neutral detergent fiber, was higher for ADD. Energy retention did not differ between treatments. The decrease in methane production (g/d) was not evident when methane emission was expressed per kilogram of milk produced. Feeding ADD resulted in increases of C12:0 and C14:0 and the intermediates of linseed oil biohydrogenation in milk in both experiments. In experiment 2, ADD-fed cows tended to have a decreased number of protozoa in rumen fluid when compared with that in control cows. Total volatile fatty acid concentrations were lower for ADD, whereas molar proportions of propionate increased at the expense of acetate and butyrate.     

Differing effects of 2 active dried yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) strains on ruminal acidosis and methane production in nonlactating dairy cows

Fifteen ruminally cannulated, nonlactating Holstein cows were used to measure the effects of 2 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fed as active dried yeasts, on ruminal pH and fermentation and enteric methane (CH₄) emissions. Nonlactating cows were blocked by total duration (h) that their ruminal pH was below 5.8 during a 6-d pre-experimental period. Within each block, cows were randomly assigned to control (no yeast), yeast strain 1 (Levucell SC), or yeast strain 2 (a novel strain selected for enhanced in vitro fiber degradation), with both strains (Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Montréal, QC, Canada) providing 1 × 10¹⁰ cfu/head per day. Cows were fed once daily a total mixed ration consisting of a 50:50 forage to concentrate ratio (dry matter basis). The yeast strains were dosed via the rumen cannula daily at the time of feeding. During the 35-d experiment, ruminal pH was measured continuously for 7 d (d 22 to 28) by using an indwelling system, and CH₄ gas was measured for 4 d (d 32 to 35) using the sulfur hexafluoride tracer gas technique (with halters and yokes). Rumen contents were sampled on 2 d (d 22 and 26) at 0, 3, and 6 h after feeding. Dry matter intake, body weight, and apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients were not affected by yeast feeding. Strain 2 decreased the average daily minimum (5.35 vs. 5.65 or 5.66), mean (5.98 vs. 6.24 or 6.34), and maximum ruminal pH (6.71 vs. 6.86 or 6.86), and prolonged the time that ruminal pH was below 5.8 (7.5 vs. 3.3 or 1.0  h/d) compared with the control or strain 1, respectively. The molar percentage of acetate was lower and that of propionate was greater in the ruminal fluid of cows receiving strain 2 compared with cows receiving no yeast or strain 1. Enteric CH₄ production adjusted for intake of dry matter or gross energy, however, did not differ between either yeast strain compared with the control but it tended to be reduced by 10% when strain 2 was compared with strain 1. The study shows that different strains of S. cerevisiae fed as active dried yeasts vary in their ability to modify the rumen fermentative pattern in nonlactating dairy cows. Because strain 2 tended (when compared with strain 1) to lower CH₄ emissions but increase the risk of acidosis, it may be prudent to further evaluate this strain in cattle fed high-forage diets, for which the risk of acidosis is low but CH₄ emissions are high.     

Method of diet delivery to dairy cows: Effects on nutrient digestion,rumen fermentation,methane emissions from enteric fermentation and stored manure,nitrogen excretion,and milk production

This study was conducted to examine the effect of method of diet delivery to dairy cows on enteric CH₄ emission, milk production, rumen fermentation, nutrient digestion, N excretion, and manure CH₄ production potential. Sixteen lactating cows were used in a crossover design (35-d period) and fed ad libitum twice daily a diet [52:48, forage:concentrate ratio; dry matter (DM) basis] provided as forages and concentrates separately (CF) or as a total mixed ration (TMR). For the CF treatment, concentrates were offered first followed by mixed forages 45 min afterward. Method of diet delivery had no effect on DM intake, but neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake was greater when the diet was delivered as TMR as compared with CF. Apparent total-tract digestibility of DM, crude protein, and gross energy was slightly (1 percentage unit) lower when the diet was offered as TMR than when offered as CF. In contrast, NDF digestibility was greater when the cows were fed TMR versus CF. Although average daily ruminal pH was not affected by method of diet delivery, daily duration of ruminal pH <5.6 was less when the diet was delivered as TMR as compared with CF (0.9 h/d versus 3.7 h/d). Delivering the diet as TMR increased ruminal total volatile fatty acid and NH₃ concentrations, but had no effect on acetate, propionate, or branched-chain volatile fatty acid molar proportions. Yields of milk, milk fat, or milk protein, and milk production efficiency (kg of milk/kg of DM intake or g of N milk/g of N intake) were not affected by the method of diet delivery. Daily production (g/d), yield (% gross energy intake), and emission intensity (g/kg of energy-corrected milk) of enteric CH₄ averaged 420 g/d, 4.9%, and 9.6 g/kg and were not affected by diet delivery method. Fecal N output was greater when the diet was delivered as TMR versus CF, whereas urinary N excretion (g/d, % N intake) was not affected. Manure volatile solids excretion and maximal CH₄ production potential were not affected by method of diet delivery. Under the conditions of this study, delivering the diet as concentrates and forages separately versus a total mixed ration had no effect on milk production, enteric CH₄ energy losses, urinary N, or maximal manure CH₄ emission potential. However, feeding the diet as total mixed ration compared with feeding concentrates and forages separately attenuated the extent of postprandial decrease in ruminal pH, which has contributed to improving NDF digestibility.     

Methane production,digestion, ruminal fermentation,nitrogen balance,and milk production of cows fed corn silage- or barley silage-based diets

This study evaluated the effects of replacing barley silage (BS) with corn silage (CS) in dairy cow diets on enteric CH₄ emissions, ruminal fermentation characteristics, digestion, milk production, and N balance. Nine ruminally cannulated lactating cows were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design (32-d period) and fed (ad libitum) a total mixed ration (TMR; forage:concentrate ratio 60:40; dry matter basis) with the forage portion consisting of either barley silage (0% CS; 0% CS and 54.4% BS in the TMR), a 50:50 mixture of both silages (27% CS; 27.2% CS and 27.2% BS in the TMR), or corn silage (54% CS; 0% BS and 54.4% CS in the TMR). Increasing the CS proportion (i.e., at the expense of BS) also involved increasing the proportion of corn grain (at the expense of barley grain). Intake and digestibility of dry matter and milk production increased linearly as the proportion of CS increased in the diet. Increasing dietary CS proportion decreased linearly the acetate molar proportion and increased linearly that of propionate. Daily CH₄ emissions tended to respond quadratically to increasing proportions of CS in the diet (487, 540, and 523 g/d for 0, 27, and 54% CS, respectively). Methane production adjusted for dry matter or gross energy intake declined as the amount of CS increased in the diet; this effect was more pronounced when cows were fed the 54% CS diet than the 27% CS diet. Increasing the CS proportion in the diet improved N utilization, as reflected by decreases in ruminal ammonia concentration and urinary N excretion and higher use of dietary N for milk protein secretion. Total replacement of BS with CS in dairy cow diets offers a strategy to decrease CH₄ energy losses and control N losses without negatively affecting milk performance.     

Ruminal fermentation,kinetics, and total-tract digestibility of lactating dairy cows fed distillers dried grains with solubles in low- and high-forage diets

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of concentrations of forages and corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on ruminal fermentation, ruminal kinetics, and total-tract digestibility of nutrients in lactating dairy cows. Four lactating Holstein cows with ruminal cannulas were assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Diets were formulated to contain low forage [LF; 17% forage neutral detergent fiber (NDF)] or high forage (HF; 24.5% forage NDF) and DDGS at 0 or 18% (0DG or 18DG) of diet dry matter (DM). Intake of DM was not affected by the diets. Daily mean ruminal pH was affected by forage NDF × DDGS interactions, as the lowest ruminal pH was observed among cows fed LF18DG (6.02). Apparent total-tract digestibility for DM, organic matter, crude protein, NDF, acid detergent fiber, and starch was not affected by diets. Cows fed LF diets had a greater total volatile fatty acid concentration compared with cows fed HF (122 vs. 116 mM). Molar proportions of acetate were greater for HF compared with that of LF diets (62.6 vs. 57.5 mmol/100 mmol) and greater for 0DG diet compared with that of 18DG diets (61.3 vs. 58.7 mmol/100 mmol) diets. The molar proportion of propionate was affected by forage × DDGS interaction as the greatest propionate molar proportion was observed with cows fed LF18DG diet (27.7 mmol/100 mmol). Also, molar proportion of butyrate was affected by forage × DDGS interaction, as the greatest butyrate molar proportion was observed in cows fed HF18DG diet (13.5 mmol/100 mmol). Average fractional dilution rate for all diets was 11.9%/h and was not affected by diets. Fractional passage rate of the solid phase was greater for HF than for LF (4.40 vs. 3.76%/h). The ruminal retention time of solid phase was greater for LF compared with HF diets (27.3 vs. 23.3 h). Fractional passage rate of DDGS was affected by forage × DG interaction, as the highest fractional passage rate of DDGS was observed with cows fed HF18DG diet (7.72%/h). Our results demonstrated that concentrations of forage, DDGS, and their interaction influence ruminal degradation and kinetics of diets fed. Diets formulated at 17% forage NDF at 17% (DM basis) can decrease milk fat concentration compared with diets formulated at 25% forage NDF. Additionally, feeding DDGS at 18% DM basis to lactating dairy cows did not affect milk fat concentration or yield.     

The effects of live yeast supplementation to dairy cows during the hot season on production, feed efficiency, and digestibility

The current study examined the effects of live yeast (LY) supplementation to dairy cows during the summer season on milk production, feed efficiency and ration digestibility. Forty-two dairy cows (14 primiparous and 28 multiparous) were fed either a control lactating diet or supplemented with 1 g of LY (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Biosaf, Lesaffre) per 4 kg of dry matter consumed. The LY amounts were adjusted twice a week. Four rumen samples were taken from 30 cows in 2-h periods and ammonia concentrations were determined. Fecal grab samples from 30 cows were collected during 3 consecutive days, to determine the apparent digestibility of diets. The daily dry matter intake in the LY group was 2.5% greater compared with the control group (24.7 and 24.1 kg, respectively). The daily average milk yield of the LY group was greater by 1.5 kg (4.1%) compared with the control group (37.8 vs. 36.3 kg, respectively). There were no significant differences in the milk fat and protein percentages, but fat yield was greater in the LY group than in the control. The fat-corrected milk 4% was 2.0 kg (6.1%) greater in the LY group than in the control group (34.8 vs. 32.8 kg, respectively). The efficiency of using dry matter to produce 4% fat-corrected milk was 3.7% greater in the LY group compared with the control group. The ruminal ammonia concentrations after feeding were greater in the control group than in the LY group (151.9 vs. 126.1 mg/l, respectively). No differences were observed among groups in the total tract apparent digestibility of dry matter and other diet components. The pH values in the rumen that were determined in a companion trial using 4 fistulated cows tended to be higher in cows that were supplemented with LY than in the control (6.67 vs. 6.54, respectively). It may be concluded that LY supplementation to dairy cows during the hot season improved the rumen environment in a way that increased the dry matter intake and in consequence enhanced the productivity and efficiency.