Original scientific paper
The effect of the dietary supplement zeolites clinoptilolite on somatic cell count, udder health and the chemical composition of milk in the cows of Holstein breed
Tihana Josipović
Dražen Đuričić
orcid.org/0000-0002-8013-2091
; Veterinarska stanica Đurđevac d.o.o
Marko Samardžija
orcid.org/0000-0003-0402-3173
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Miroslav Benić
orcid.org/0000-0001-7594-520X
; Rezultati pretraživanja Rezultati pretraživanja weba s vezama na web-lokacije Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croatia
Romana Turk
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
In recent years, there has been wider usage of alternative substances in the diet for improved performance and udder health of dairy cows. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of the addition of vibroactive and micronized zeolite clinoptilolite (Vibrosorb®, Podpićan, Croatia) to feed regarding the chemical composition of milk, somatic cell count (SCC) and the udder health of dairy cows. The research involved 30 dairy cows of the Holstein breed, aged between 3 to 5 years, and 3 months pregnant at the start of the trial. The animals were kept on a family farm near Đurđevac, Croatia. The cows were randomly assigned into two groups: control (n=15) and test (CPL-fed group) (n=15), which received 100 g of CPL in daily feed. The first milk sampling was done prior to adding CPL to the diet. The other four samples were performed monthly up to the dry period, i.e., the seventh month of pregnancy. Milk samples were analysed for the chemical composition of the milk (milk fat, protein, lactose, non-fatty dry matter, and urea), somatic cell count (SCC) and microbiological examination. Statistical analysis revealed that the average values of the chemical composition of the milk were almost the same in both groups throughout the research, with an insignificant difference in milk protein in the fifth month of research (P>0,05). A statistically significant difference was found in the SCC; the CPL group had a significantly lower average value of SCC as opposed to the control group (P<0,05). The CPL-fed group had a 50% lower incidence of subclinical mastitis compared to the control group. Such a positive effect of CPL supplementation on udder health could indicate the immunostimulatory effect of vibroactivated and micronized clinoptilolite as a dietary supplement on the udder health of dairy cows.
Keywords
dairy cows; milk composition; udder health; zeolite clinoptilolite
Hrčak ID:
238096
URI
Publication date:
30.3.2020.
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