The effects of extruded flaxseed supplementation to high-yielding dairy cows on milk production and milk fatty acid composition

Abstract

Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of extruded flaxseed supplementation to high-yielding dairy cows on milk yield and fatty acid profile. One-hundred Israeli-Holstein dairy cows averaging 150 days in milk (DIM) were stratified into two treatment groups on the basis of milk production, DIM and parity. The treatments were: (1) control—cows were fed a lactating-cows diet; and (2) extruded flaxseed (EF)—cows were fed a lactating-cows diet which included an extruded supplement at 40 g/kg dry matter (DM) that contained flaxseed and wheat bran at 700 and 300 g/kg, respectively. The average daily milk yield was 2.7% higher in the EF group than in the control group (45.4 and 44.2 kg/d, respectively; P