Effects of Dandelion (Taraxzcum coreanum) Supplementation on Milk Yield,Milk Compositions and Blood Characteristics in Lactating Dairy Cows

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Dandelion (Taraxzcum coreanum) supplementation on milk yield, milk composition and blood characteristics in lactating dairy cows. Eight lactating dairy cows were divided into two groups (control: TMR supplementation, treatment: TMR with Dandelion supplementation). The milk yield, milk fat, lactose, solids not fat (SNF) and somatic cells counts (SCC) were not significantly different between the control group and the treatment group, whereas milk protein, milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and free fat acid (FFA) were significantly higher in the treatment group compared to the control (p<0.05). The blood components of the treatment group were compared with those of the control group and only aspartate aminotransferase (AST) appeared significantly high (p<0.05). The other blood components were not significantly different in the two groups. Blood corpuscle components in the groups were not significantly different. Especially, all blood corpuscle components in the treatment group were within the normal range. However, the white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes (LYM) and hematocrits (HCT) in the control group exceeded the normal range. Based on the above results, the addition of Dandelion to feed increased milk protein, MUN and FFA, but did not significantly affect the composition of the blood and corpuscle in Holstein milking cows.