Monensin Sodium Research Articles

A Continued Assessment of Local Byproducts in Beef Finishing Diets in Honduras

ObjectivesThe continued objective was to further investigate the potential development of nutritionally complete diets using local feedstuffs and to develop replicable management strategies.Materials and MethodsDiets were designed to assess the gain potential of beef cattle in confined feeding systems across Honduras and the viability of local feedstuffs, rather than the intent of diet comparison. Three finishing diets were formulated using local Honduran feedstuffs such as palm kernel meal, poultry litter, and sugarcane for bulls in confinement. Diets were formulated on DM basis and targeted a positive balance of ruminal degradable protein. Management included vaccination, individual identification, implantation, and treatment of parasites on arrival to the feeding facilities. Additionally, monensin (Monsigran; Monensin Sodium 20; Brazil) was added to all diets. Treatments HM6 through HM11 were fed in the southwest region and HM12 was fed in the central region of Honduras. Cattle were Bos indicus crossed with Bos taurus and dairy type. Bulls were fed between 68 and 145 d with an average of 112 d. Initial BW ranged from 231 to 479 kg with an average of 363 kg. Bulls were fed to a minimum end point of 400 kg (unshrunk live final BW). Descriptive analyses were performed using UNIVARIATE procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) with pen within site as the experimental unit.ResultsConsidering all diets, dry matter intake ranged from 9.98 to 12.27 kg/d with an average of 10.73 kg/d. Average daily gain ranged from 0.40 to 2.41 kg with an average of 1.03 kg. Final BW averaged 482 kg with a modest variability (CV = 9.33%). Gain to feed followed similarly to ADG averaging 0.096. Hot carcass weight ranged from 197 to 347 kg with an average of 267 kg. Dressing percent reported an interval of 45.25 to 61.60% averaging 55.26% with low variability (CV = 4.77%).ConclusionAll diets were viable options for Honduran producers to finish beef cattle depending on feedstuff or byproduct availability. Local byproducts have been effectively blended with other more traditional feedstuffs such as corn to reach sufficient protein and energy. The role byproducts can have within Honduran beef finishing systems has been demonstrated through multiple diets, in various locations across Honduras. More consistent management practices have led to increased dressing percent driven by increased carcass weight. As dressing percent and carcass weight increase, the role of byproduct use to increase beef production are verified. Subsequently, the continued development of better management practices and increased information can be utilized to conduct more intensive research on local feedstuffs and diets across Honduras.

Effects of cinnamaldehyde or monensin on performance of weaned Holstein dairy heifers

The objective of this 70-d study was to determine the effects of the essential oil cinnamaldehyde compared with the ionophore monensin on performance of weaned Holstein dairy heifers. Eighty-four Holstein dairy heifers (91 ± 3.33 d of age; 109 ± 7.55 kg) were housed in a naturally ventilated curtain sidewall, straw-bedded barn in 12 pens with 7 heifers/pen (3.98 m2/head). Heifers were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a completely randomized design: (1) control (CON; carrier, 908 g of ground corn), (2) monensin sodium [MON; 1 mg/kg of body weight (BW) + carrier], (3) cinnamaldehyde (CIN1; 1 mg/kg of BW + carrier), or (4) cinnamaldehyde (CIN2; 2 mg/kg of BW + carrier). The treatments were hand-mixed into a 20% crude protein (CP) whole shelled corn and protein pellet mix fed at 2.21 kg/heifer daily. Heifers had access to free-choice hay and water daily. Initial BW and hip heights were taken at the start of the study and every other week thereafter until calves reached 23 wk of age. Blood samples were also taken on each weigh day to determine plasma urea nitrogen, glucose, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations. Fecal samples were taken from the same 3 heifers/pen initially and then at d 28, 56, and 70 of the study for coccidia counts. Cinnamaldehyde had no performance effects on growth, hay intake, hip height, or blood metabolites compared with MON or CON. Average daily gains were 0.98, 0.99, 1.01, and 1.03 kg/d, and average hay intakes per pen were 17.08, 16.34, 18.11, and 17.60 kg/d for CON, MON, CIN1, and CIN2, respectively. Fecal samples by pens indicated the presence of viable coccidia, but the counts were low and not consistent across heifers within each pen. No benefits were associated with supplementing cinnamaldehyde or monensin into grain mixes for weaned heifers.

Ionophore strategy affects growth performance and carcass characteristics in feedlot steers.

One hundred ninety-two steers (BW = 354 ± 23.5 kg) were used in a randomized block design to evaluate the effects of ionophore and ractopamine hydrochloride (RH) supplementation strategies on performance and carcass characteristics. Twelve pens of 4 steers were assigned to each of the following treatments: unsupplemented control (CON), laidlomycin propionate (12.1 mg/kg DM) with or without RH (LPRH and LP, respectively), and monensin sodium (36.4 mg/kg DM) with RH (MSRH). Steers were fed for 151 d, of which respective treatments received RH (Actogain; Zoetis, Florham Park, NJ) at a rate of 300 mg/(animal · d) for the final 32 d. Laidlomycin was removed from the LPRH treatment during this period, as no combination feeding has been approved. Upon harvest, carcass data were collected by trained personnel, and subsequent analysis of the LM was conducted to estimate tenderness using Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF). Prior to RH supplementation, both LP and LPRH had greater ADG ( ≤ 0.02) and G:F ( < 0.01) than CON, whereas MSRH was intermediate. During the final 32 d, MSRH improved G:F ( ≤ 0.02) compared to all other treatments and tended to increase ADG over unsupplemented controls ( = 0.05). Cattle receiving LP without RH had significantly greater BW at d 151 than CON ( = 0.02), whereas both RH treatments tended to improve final BW ( ≤ 0.09). Ionophores improved ADG ( ≤ 0.03) and G:F ( < 0.01) for the entire feeding period, and although LP-supplemented cattle had greater DMI for the final 32 d than both RH treatments ( ≤ 0.01), intakes for the 151-d trial were similar among treatments. Carcass weights were greater ( = 0.04) in cattle fed LP with no RH than CON, where cattle yielded an average of 12 kg more HCW. Ractopamine increased LM area in MSRH-supplemented cattle ( = 0.03) and tended to increase LM area for steers receiving LPRH ( = 0.07). Longissimus steaks of MSRH-supplemented cattle had greater WBSF values than CON ( = 0.04) after 7 d of postmortem aging and greater WBSF values than LPRH steaks after 28 d ( = 0.03). All other carcass and WBSF measurements were similar among treatments. The results of this study indicate that LP supplementation without RH may yield a performance similar to and carcass responses associated with the administration of a β-agonist. These results also suggest that performance and carcass characteristics for cattle fed LP are similar to those of cattle fed monensin throughout the feeding period.

Evaluación de injuria cardíaca en novillos a distintas dosis de monensina sódica dietaría medida a través de creatina kinasa miocárdica

Evaluación de injuria cardíaca en novillos a distintas dosis de monensina sódica dietaría medida a través de creatina kinasa miocárdica

Safety and efficacy of B‐Act® (Bacillus licheniformis DSM 28710) for chickens for fattening and chickens reared for laying

The additive B-Act® is a preparation containing viable spores of a strain of Bacillus licheniformis. The additive is intended for use in feed for chickens for fattening and chickens reared for laying at the proposed dose of 1.6 × 109 colony-forming unit (CFU)/kg complete feedingstuffs. B. licheniformis is considered by EFSA to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety approach for establishing safety. As the identity of the active agent was established and the lack of toxigenic potential and resistance to antibiotics of human or veterinary clinical significance were demonstrated, the additive is presumed safe for the target species, consumers and the environment. In the absence of data, no conclusion can be drawn on the skin/eye irritation or skin sensitisation potential. The dustiness of the preparations tested indicated a potential for users to be exposed via inhalation. B-Act® should be considered to have the potential to be a respiratory sensitiser. B-Act® at the recommended dose 1.6 × 109 CFU/kg feed has some potential to improve the feed to gain ratio of chickens for fattening. This conclusion can be extended to chickens reared for laying when used at the same dose. B. licheniformis DSM 28710 is compatible with decoquinate, diclazuril, halofuginone, nicarbazin, robenidine hydrochloride, lasalocid A sodium, maduramicin ammonium, monensin sodium, narasin and salinomycin sodium.

Effects of alkaloid extracts of mesquite pod on the products of in vitro rumen fermentation.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of alkaloid extracts of Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) D.C. pods obtained by two extraction methods as compared with sodium monensin on the gas production kinetic, mitigation of methane, and rumen fermentation products using wheat bran or Tifton 85 hay as substrates, by the semi-automatic in vitro gas production technique. A completely randomized design was adopted, and two natural additives were tested made from mesquite pod (alkaloid extract I and alkaloid extract II) at three levels (3.9, 7.9, and 12μg), sodium monensin 5μM (positive control), and no inclusion of additives (negative control). The volume of gases produced by the degradation of the fibrous fraction of wheat bran was influenced by the concentration of the extract I added to the medium, and the amounts of 7.9 and 12μg were equal to monensin at the lowest value. The degradation rate of the fibrous carbohydrates with additive extract I at 12μg was lower in relation to monensin. When Tifton 85 hay was utilized, alkaloid extract I provided a shorter colonization time as compared with monensin at the added amounts of 7.9 and 12μg and higher production of gases from the fibrous fraction but without interfering with the total volume of gases produced during 96h of fermentation of carbohydrates. In the periods of 12 and 24h of incubation, utilizing alkaloid extract I, the mean values of methane production with wheat bran and Tifton 85 hay were lower than monensin (p<0.05) when the respective amounts of 7.9 and 12μg were added. Alkaloid extract I has similar potential to sodium in reducing production of total gases, methane, and the acetate/propionate ratio.

1604 Estimation of microbial protein and blood urea of confined bulls fed with diets containing virginiamycin and monensin sodium

1604 Estimation of microbial protein and blood urea of confined bulls fed with diets containing virginiamycin and monensin sodium

1400 Feedlot performance and carcass traits of Nellore cattle fed different combinations of sodium monensin and virginiamycin

1400 Feedlot performance and carcass traits of Nellore cattle fed different combinations of sodium monensin and virginiamycin

Effect of anticoccidial monensin with oregano essential oil on broilers experimentally challenged with mixed Eimeria spp

Essential oil of oregano ( OEO: ) has proven to be a potential candidate for controlling chicken coccidiosis. The aim of the current study is to determine whether OEO and an approved anticoccidial, monensin sodium ( MON: ), as in-feed supplements could create a synergism when combined at low dosages. Day-old broiler chickens were separated into six equal groups with six replicate pens of 36 birds. One of the groups was given a basal diet and served as the control ( CNT: ). The remaining groups received the basal diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg MON, 50mg/kg MON, 24 mg/kg OEO, 12 mg/kg OEO, or 50mg/kg MON + 12 mg/kg OEO. All of the chickens were challenged with field-type mixed Eimeria species at 12 d of age. Following the infection (i.e., d 13 to 42), the greatest growth gains and lowest feed conversion ratio values were recorded for the group of birds fed 100 mg/kg MON (P < 0.05), whereas results for the CNT treatment were inferior. Dietary OEO supplementations could not support growth to a level comparable with the MON (100 mg/kg). The MON programs were more efficacious in reducing fecal oocyst numbers compared to CNT and OEO treatments (P < 0.05). Serum malondialdehyde and nitric oxide concentrations were decreased (P < 0.01), whereas superoxide dismutase (P < 0.05) and total antioxidant status (P < 0.01) were increased in response to dietary medication with MON and OEO. All MON and OEO treatments conferred intestinal health benefits to chickens by improving their morphological development and enzymatic activities. The results suggest that OEO supported the intestinal absorptive capacity and antioxidant defense system during Eimeria infection; however, it displayed little direct activity on the reproductive capacity of Eimeria This might be the reason for inferior compensatory growth potential of OEO compared to that MON following the challenge. Combination MON with OEO was not considered to show promise for controlling chicken coccidiosis because of the lack of a synergistic or additive effect.

Influence of a blend of functional oils or monensin on nutrient intake and digestibility, ruminal fermentation and milk production of dairy cows

Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) and castor oil (CO) are considered functional oils since they present antitumor, antioxidant, gastroprotective, and antibiotic properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects a commercial blend of functional oils (CNSL and CO) and monensin supplementation on nutrient intake and total tract apparent digestibility, ruminal fermentation, milk yield and composition, N utilization, microbial protein synthesis, and blood metabolites of dairy cows. Twenty-four multiparous Holstein cows (150.2±61.4days in milk, 619±76kg of BW and 29.1±4.0kg/d of milk yield, mean±SD) were used in a replicated 3×3 Latin square experimental design, in which six ruminally cannulated cows were used to assess ruminal fermentation. The animals were randomly assigned to one of the following three treatments: control (CON; without additive); 500mg/kg DM of functional oil (FO; commercial blend of CNSL and CO), and 22mg/kg DM of monensin sodium (MON). The treatments did not affect either nutrient intake or digestibility of diets. Both feed additives provided an increase in ruminal propionate molar proportion compared to CON. In addition, FO increased ruminal propionate concentration when compared to MON and CON. Although both additives increased (P<0.01) milk and protein yields, MON had lower milk fat concentration compared to CON, not differing from FO. Monensin and FO increased milk nitrogen excretion.Neither rumen microbial N synthesis nor blood glucose concentration were changed by the supplements. Finally, FO decreased (P<0.001) blood urea concentration compared to CON or MON, besides increasing milk yield without altering nutrient intake; thus, it might be an alternative to monensin in lactating cow diets.

Safety and efficacy of Bacillus subtilis DSM 28343 as a feed additive for chickens for fattening

The additive is a preparation containing viable spores of a strain of Bacillus subtilis which has never been authorised in the EU. It is intended to be used in feeds for chickens for fattening at the recommended dose of 1 × 109 colony-forming unit (CFU)/kg complete feedingstuffs. The bacterial species B. subtilis is considered by EFSA to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety approach to safety assessment. As the identity of the active agent has been established and the susceptibility to antibiotics and lack of toxigenic potential have been demonstrated, the use of Bacillus subtilis DSM 28343 can be presumed safe for the target species, consumers of products derived from animals fed the additive and the environment. Bacillus subtilis DSM 28343 is not an eye/skin irritant but should be considered as a potential respiratory sensitiser. In the absence of data, no conclusion can be drawn on the skin sensitisation potential. Bacillus subtilis DSM 28343 at the proposed dose has the potential to be efficacious in improving growth of chickens for fattening. B. subtilis DSM 28343 is compatible with the coccidiostats lasalocid A sodium, diclazuril, monensin sodium, maduramicin ammonium, decoquinate, nicarbazin, robenidine hydrochloride and halofuginone hydrobromide.

Safety and efficacy of Enviva® PRO 202 GT (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens PTA‐6507, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NRRL B‐50013 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NRRL B‐50104) for chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying and minor poultry species for fattening and to point of lay

The additive Enviva® PRO 202 GT is a preparation containing viable spores of three strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The additive is intended for use in feed for chickens for fattening, chickens reared for laying and minor poultry species for fattening and to point of lay at a minimum dose of 30 mg/kg feed, which corresponds to 7.5 × 107 CFU/kg complete feedingstuffs. B. amyloliquefaciens is considered by EFSA to be suitable for the qualified presumption of safety approach to establishing safety. As the identity of the active agents was established and the lack of toxigenic potential and of resistance to antibiotics of human or veterinary clinical significance demonstrated, the additive is presumed safe for the target species, consumers and the environment. Enviva® PRO 202 GT is non-irritant to skin and eyes and is not a dermal sensitiser. Given the proteinaceous nature of the additive, there is a potential for respiratory sensitisation, although the risk is low due the low dusting potential. Data from three trials provide evidence that the inclusion of Enviva® PRO 202 GT at the recommended dose has the potential to improve the performance of chickens for fattening. This conclusion extends to the additive when used with chickens reared for laying and is extrapolated to minor avian species for fattening and to point of lay when used at the same dose. The three active agents are compatible with narasin/nicarbazin, maduramicin ammonium, lasalocid A sodium, salinomycin sodium, monensin sodium, diclazuril, robenidine hydrochloride, decoquinate and semduramycin sodium and nicarbazin.

Meta-analysis of the effects of laidlomycin propionate, fed alone or in combination with chlortetracycline, compared with monensin sodium, fed alone or in combination with tylosin, on growth performance, health, and carcass outcomes in finishing steers in North America.

The objective of this research was to use data from multiple studies to comprehensively quantify the effects of feeding 1) laidlomycin propionate (LP), alone and/or in combination with chlortetracycline, compared with 2) monensin sodium (MS), alone and/or in combination with tylosin, at commercially approved dosages, on ADG, DMI, feed efficiency (FE), mortality, and carcass characteristics (HCW and liver abscesses). A secondary objective was to explore potential sources of heterogeneity among the comparative effectiveness studies. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature and industry reports was used to identify studies that included direct comparisons of these treatments in finishing steers in North America. Random-effects meta-analysis models of performance, carcass, and health-related outcomes were fitted with extracted data, consisting of a total of 17 data sets comprising a total of 135 pens and 13,603 steers. Results showed that pens of steers fed LP had increased ADG (live and carcass adjusted), DMI, and HCW compared with those fed monensin ( < 0.05). However, liver abscesses were more common in LP-fed cattle than in MS-fed cattle ( < 0.05), presumably because of differences in the concurrently fed antimicrobials. No significant effects ( > 0.05) were identified for FE or for health-related outcomes (overall and cause-specific mortality). There was a substantial amount of heterogeneity in outcomes among studies, and when pen size and type of production setting were included in mixed-effects meta-regression models, they accounted for only a small proportion of the between-study heterogeneity found in the meta-analysis models. Therefore, caution should be exercised when interpreting summary estimates in the presence of substantial heterogeneity. However, these results provide comprehensive information on the comparative effects of different ionophores across multiple studies and multiple years, states, and production settings. These unique results can enable quantitative and informed decisions by potential end users of these feed additives that are widely used in the U.S. beef industry for reducing the costs of beef production through enhanced cattle performance.

Effects of a blend of essential oils, chitosan or monensin on nutrient intake and digestibility of lactating dairy cows

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of a blend of essential oils, chitosan or monensin on nutrient intake and digestibility, nitrogen utilization, microbial protein synthesis, ruminal fermentation, and blood profile of mid- to late-lactating Holstein cows. The secondary objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of additives on milk yield and composition of animals. Twenty-four multiparous cows (average 31.44±4.83kg/day of milk yield and 175.89±99.74 days in milk, mean±SD) were distributed into a replicated 4×4 Latin square experimental design. Periods consisted of 14 days of adaptation to treatments and 7 days of sampling. Cows were randomly assigned to receive one of the four treatments: (1) Control (CON); (2) Essential oils (EO), supply of 1g/day of EO mixture (Crina® Ruminants—DSM Nutritional Products Brazil Ltd., Sao Paulo, Brazil; composed by thymol, guaiacol, eugenol, vanillin, salicylaldehyde and limonene); (3) Chitosan (CHI), dietary inclusion of 150mg/kg BW of CHI; and (4) Monensin (MON), dietary inclusion of 24mg/kg DM of sodic monensin (Monensin Tortuga—DSM Nutritional Products Brazil Ltd., Sao Paulo, Brazil). Treatments did not influence nutrient intake, milk yield and composition. Animals fed CHI showed higher DM digestibility than those fed EO. Cows fed MON or CHI had higher CP digestibility than cows fed EO. However, animals fed additives had similar nutrient digestibility compared to CON. Fecal nitrogen excretion was lower for cows fed CHI or MON than those fed EO, but the feed additives did not alter nitrogen excretion compared to CON. Treatments did not affect microbial protein synthesis and efficiency. Cows fed MON had lower acetate to propinate ratio than CON or EO. Blood profile was not altered by treatments. Feed additives did not influence nutrient intake, but altered nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation. Monensin shifted ruminal fermentation to a more energetically efficient pathway. Milk and solids yield were not affected by treatments.

The effects of increasing garlic powder and monensin supplementation on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance and blood parameters of growing calves.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of increasing garlic powder and monensin supplementation on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, growth performance and blood metabolites of growing calves. Forty Holstein calves (BW=100±11kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments (n=10) in a complete randomized design. Experimental treatments consisted of the following: (i) basal diet (control), (ii) basal diet supplemented with 0.0003% of dietary dry matter (DM) sodium monensin, (iii) low level of garlic powder (Low-GAR; 0.5% of dietary DM) and (iv) high level of garlic powder (High-GAR; 1% of dietary DM). DM intake (DMI) and DM digestibility were (p<0.05) decreased by High-GAR. However, calves supplemented with Low-GAR had a similar DMI to the control calves and similar DM digestibility to the control and monensin groups. The digestibility of other nutrients were not affected by the treatments. Although supplementing monensin relative to Low-GAR increased the DMI (p<0.05), average daily gain was similar between Low-GAR and monensin supplemented calves, which were higher than the control and High-GAR groups (p<0.05). As a result, feed conversion ratio was improved in the Low-GAR group versus other treatment groups (p<0.05). Administrating garlic powder decreased the blood low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and non-esterified fatty acids (p<0.05) without affecting the blood triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein and beta-hydroxybutyric acid concentrations. In conclusion, the calves fed the Low-GAR showed an improved FCR and blood metabolites without changing the DMI and nutrient digestibility. It suggests that garlic powder could be used as an alternative to monensin for growing calves under the current feeding conditions.

Simbióticos e monensina sódica no desempenho e na qualidade da carne de novilhas mestiças Angus confinadas

Resumo:O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da inclusão de simbióticos e de monensina sódica em dietas sobre o desempenho, as características de carcaça e a qualidade da carne de novilhas mestiças Angus em confinamento. Utilizou-se um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com 64 animais distribuídos em quatro tratamentos: controle, dieta sem suplementação; dieta suplementada com simbióticos; dieta com monensina sódica; e dieta com simbióticos e monensina sódica. A dieta com monensina sódica e a dieta com simbióticos e monensina sódica proporcionaram maior ganho de peso médio diário e ganho de peso vivo total, além de melhorar a eficiência alimentar e biológica dos animais em comparação ao controle. A dieta de simbióticos, a de monensina e a de simbióticos com monensina sódica ocasionaram a redução da ingestão de matéria seca, elevaram o peso do filé da costela e os teores de lipídeos totais na carne. A dieta com simbióticos proporcionou a redução da força de cisalhamento da carne em relação ao controle. A inclusão de simbióticos, com ou sem monensina sódica, na dieta de novilhas mestiças Angus confinadas, beneficia o desempenho animal e algumas características físico-químicas da carne.

&lt;b&gt;Propolis extract and sodium monensin on ruminal fermentation and hematological parameters in sheep

This study evaluated the effects of different concentrations of 30% propolis ethanol extract (PEE) and sodium monensin on the intake of dry matter, nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation and hematological parameters in sheep. Six adult castrated male sheep fistulated in the rumen were assigned to a 6 x 6 Latin square design. The addition of PEE or sodium monensin to the diet did not change the digestibility coefficients of dry matter (79.4%), crude protein (77.0%), neutral detergent fiber (76.1%), acid detergent fiber (69.7%), hemicellulose (80.9%), and organic matter (79.4%). Sheep fed diets with inclusion of sodium monensin showed 11.3% reduction in dry matter intake (1.76 kg day -1 ) compared to those which received PEE (2.00 kg day -1 ). The inclusion of additives to the diet influenced ruminal pH: higher values were observed in sheep fed sodium monensin (6.1). Mean levels of ammonia nitrogen (7.3 mg dL -1 ) were similar between treatments. Biochemical serum parameters of glucose (59.4 mg dL -1 ), urea (8.9 mg dL -1 ) total protein (6.8 g dL -1 ) and albumin (2.5 g dL -1 ) were within the reference range for the ovine species. Sodium monensin was more efficient to maintain ruminal pH at higher levels and to reduce the dry matter intake. However, the addition of PEE did not affect the nutrient digestibility in sheep fed 50:50 forage: concentrate ratio.

Transition cow clinical forum

Transition cow management has long been acknowledged as a key part of successful dairy cow health and production. It is estimated that around 30–50% of dairy cows suffer a clinical disorder associated with the transition period ( LeBlanc, 2010 ), and the prevalence of subclinical metabolic disease is likely to be even higher. There is currently a renewed focus on transition cow management and nutrition, part fuelled by some recent research findings regarding fat metabolism and the influence of energy supply pre calving ( Janovick et al 2011 ); effects of social stress associated with group changes ( Von Keyserlingk et al, 2008 ); and the influence of body condition score and transition cow management on lameness ( Machado et al, 2010 ). The recent availability of a licensed slow release ruminal bolus containing monensin sodium has provided practicing veterinary surgeons with a new pharmacological tool with which to approach ketosis management. This too has probably stimulated a greater interest in the whole area of transition cow management and nutrition amongst practitioners. This clinical forum article reviews some of the key physiological aspects of transition cow management, followed by discussion by experienced dairy practitioners.

Pelleting in Associated with Sodium Monensin Increases the Conjugated Linoleic Acids Concentration in the Milk of Dairy Cows Fed Canola Seeds.

To evaluate the effects of the pelleting and the addition of sodium monensin on production, the chemical and lipid composition of milk and butter physical characteristics, 4 Holstein dairy cows (135 days of lactation) with an average milk production of 14.7 kg/d, were supplemented with a concentrate containing ground canola seeds. The cows were assigned to a 4×4 Latin square design with a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments: i) ground maize, soybean meal, mineral and vitamin supplements, and ground canola seeds (CG); ii) CG concentrate with 31.5 mg of monensin added per kg of dry matter (DM); iii) CG pelleted concentrate; iv) CG concentrate with monensin addition pelleted. There was no difference in milk production and composition. The addition of monensin increased milk concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), the PUFA/saturated fatty acids (SFA) ratio, and omega 6. The pelleting increased the concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, the PUFA/SFA ratio, and the omega 6/omega 3 ratio, but decreased the concentration of SFA. The association between pelleting and the addition of monensin increased the concentration of conjugated linoleic acids by 46.9%. The physical characteristics of butter were not affected by the evaluated diets. We concluded that the concentrate with 31.5 mg of monensin added per kg DM basis combined with the pelleting improves the lipid composition of milk from Holstein cows that are on pasture and supplemented with ground canola seeds, without changing the production, milk composition, and spreadability of butter.

Analysis of veterinary drug and pesticide residues in animal feed by high-resolution mass spectrometry: comparison between time-of-flight and Orbitrap

The use of medium–high-resolution mass spectrometers (M–HRMS) provides many advantages in multi-residue analysis. A comparison between two mass spectrometers, medium-resolution (MRMS) time-of-flight (TOF) and high-resolution (HRMS) Orbitrap, has been carried out for the analysis of toxic compounds in animal feed. More than 300 compounds belonging to several classes of veterinary drugs (VDs) and pesticides have been determined in different animal feed samples using a generic extraction method. The use of a clean-up procedure has been evaluated in both instruments, and several validation parameters have been established, such as the matrix effect, linearity, recovery and sensitivity. Finally, both instruments have been used during the analysis of 18 different feed samples (including chicken, hen, rabbit and horse). Some VDs (sulfadiazine, trimethoprim, robenidine and monensin sodium) and one pesticide (chlorpyrifos) have been identified. In general, better results were obtained using the Orbitrap, such as sensitivity (1–12.5 µg kg−1) and recovery values (60–125%). Moreover, this analyser had several software tools, which reduced the time for data processing and were easy to use, performing quick screening for more than 450 compounds in less than 5 min. However, some disadvantages such as the high cost and a decrease in the number of detected compounds at low concentrations must be taken into account.