Impact of Enzyme Supplementation in High-Fiber Diets on Dairy Cow Milk Yield and Composition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70749/ijbr.v4i5.3209Keywords:
Enzyme supplementation, High-fiber diets, Dairy cows, Milk yield, Milk composition, Feed efficiency, Somatic cell countAbstract
High-fiber feed resources are often used in dairy production but can be limited by reduced digestibility and nutrient availability, which can be detrimental to milk production and quality. This study aimed to examine the effects of enzyme supplementation in high-fiber diets on milk yield, milk composition, feed efficiency, and selected health indicators of dairy cows. A total of 120 lactating dairy cows were allocated into four dietary treatment groups: control (high-fiber diet without enzyme supplementation), low (low level of enzyme supplementation), medium (medium level of enzyme supplementation), and high (high level of enzyme supplementation). Dry matter intake, milk yield, feed efficiency, milk fat %, protein %, and lactose % were considered as productive parameters. Additionally, somatic cell count and body condition score were used as measures of milk quality and animal health. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, Tukey’s post hoc test, Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. The analysis of results showed that, compared to the control group (p < 0.05), enzyme supplementation increased dry matter intake, milk yield, feed efficiency, and milk composition parameters. The best milk yield was recorded in the group with the highest enzyme supplementation. Somatic cell count and enzyme inclusion decreased significantly with an increase in enzyme inclusion and improved udder health with better milk quality. High positive correlations were found among productive performance traits and enzyme supplementation, and enzyme dose level was identified as a significant predictor for milk yield in regression analysis. Overall, these data indicate that supplementation with fiber-degrading enzymes can improve nutrient utilization, milk production, milk composition, and production efficiency in dairy cows fed high-fiber diets. Consequently, enzyme supplementation might provide a helpful nutritional approach to improve the exploitation of fibrous feed resources and increase the eco-efficiency and profitability of dairy production systems.
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