123 Efficacy of dietary supplementation with yeast culture for grazing dairy cows and for calves G.M. Kamande 1, J.C. Spragg 2, I. Yoon 1 and M. Kujawa 1 1 Diamond V Mills, P.O. Box 74570, Cedar Rapids, IA 52407, USA, gkamande@diamondv.com 2 Tall Bennett Group, Mona Vale, NSW 2103, Australia Summary This review summarises recent research on the effects of Diamond V XP Yeast Culture (DVXP) on dairy cows and calves. In a trial conducted on a commercial dairy farm in Victoria, Australia, Friesian and Jersey Friesian cows supplemented with Rumensin did not produce more milk than those supplemented with DVXP. In a second trial carried out in Victoria, Australia, DVXP supplementation increased milk production of Friesian cows by 2.2 L/d. Milk fat and protein content did not differ. The increased milk production was attributed to greater feed intake and utilization. The intake of Wagyu Friesian and Friesian calves fed a starter diet containing 2% DVXP until 15 weeks of age and 0.75% DVXP from 16 21 weeks of age was increased by 18% and pre weaning weight gain was increased by 14.3%. In a trial conducted in New Zealand, the inclusion of 1.2% DVXP in the diet of mixed breed calves aged 7 10 days at the beginning of the trial improved average daily gain by 11.3%. This improvement was maintained throughout the pre ruminant stage (days 1 17) and into the ruminant phase (days 17 71). Key words: calves, cattle, grazing, metabolites, milk yield, yeast culture Introduction Over the last 10 years, the practice of adding antibiotics to livestock diets to enhance production efficiency has declined. As a result, there has been an increase in research aimed at developing alternatives with particular emphasis on the potential use of natural feed additives, one of which is yeast. Yeast products are fed to high producing dairy cows on more than half the dairy farms in the USA (Kellogg et al. 2001). Yeast cultures consist of a complex mixture of the products of yeast fermentation, residual yeast cells (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and culture media. Active dry yeasts (ADY) are also used. These products consist of purified dried yeast cells, which have a viability of 15 25 10 9 colony forming units (CFU) per gram. Three physical forms of ADY are commercially available: tunnel dried yeast (a granular powder), fluid bed dried yeast (prolate granules), and rotolouver dried yeast (spherical granules). Tunnel dried yeast and fluid bed dried yeast are the most commonly used forms in the USA, and rotolouver dried yeast is the predominant form in Europe and Latin America. These products are not fermented yeast cultures and often consist of ADY diluted with a carrier (Figure 1). Diamond V XP Yeast Culture (DVXP; Diamond V Mills, Iowa, USA) has been the subject of extensive research. These studies found that DVXP improved dry matter intake (Williams et al. 1991; Wohlt et al. 1991; Dann et al. 2000), milk production (Williams et al. 1991; Wohlt et al. 1991; Wang et al. 2001) and feed conversion efficiency (Shingoethe et al. 2004). Improved feed conversion efficiency has a positive Yeast + distiller s grains Yeast + ground corn Yeast + distillers Figure 1 Live yeast blends in distillers grains, ground corn and distillers solubles. Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition in Australia, Volume 15 (2005)
124 Kamande et al. effect on herd profitability even though changes in production and/or feed intake may be very slight (Britt et al. 2003; Casper et al. 2003). Robinson (2002) observed that a positive milk yield response to DVXP was reported in 86% of published, peer reviewed journal papers on the efficacy of this product for dairy cows. The majority of these studies were carried out using total mixed rations and very few of them were conducted in systems based on pasture resources. The objective of this communication is thus to review the effect of DVXP on rumen fermentation and the results of trials in which DVXP was fed to calves and lactating cows in pasture based systems in Australia and New Zealand. A comparison of the efficacy of various yeast products In vivo and in vitro studies indicate that yeast products differ in terms of their efficacy. Alshaikh et al. (2002) compared the effects of DVXP and YeaSacc 1026, a live yeast product (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA), on the performance of mid lactation dairy cows. DVXP resulted in a higher yield of milk and 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) (Table 1). The yeast products both increased production efficiency but DVXP had the greatest effect. Milk fat and milk protein yields in the DVXP group were also higher than in the live yeast or control groups. Bernard et al. (personal communication, 2003) Table 1 Effects of yeast products on mean dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield and production efficiency (PE) of mid lactation dairy cows. Treatment Control YeaSacc 1026 DVXP DMI (kg/d) 24.6 a 20.5 b 21.2 c Water consumption (L/d) 100.7 a 130.4 b 128.7 b Milk Yield (kg/d) 21.5 a 22.0 a 22.8 b FCM (kg/d) 18.2 a 17.9 a 21.0 b PE (L FCM per kg DMI) 0.74 a 0.88 b 1.00 c Milk fat (g/d) 620.7 a 634.0 a 726.0 b Milk protein (g/d) 735.5 a 853.8 b 866.7 c FCM: 4% fat corrected milk yield a,b,c Means within the same row with different superscripts differ significantly (P<0.05) Table 2 Effects of yeast products on in vitro fermentation of alfalfa hay and Bermuda grass hay. Mean post fermentation concentrations of VFA are expressed as mmol/l incubation media. O Connor et al. (2002) Sullivan and Martin (1999) Control Procreatin 7 Biosaf Control DVXP Alfalfa Acetate 21.9 21.7 20.9 42.2 43.7 Propionate 8.6 8.6 8.8 13.2 a 14.9 b Butyrate 3.3 3.7 3.5 4.4 4.8 Total VFA * 33.8 34.0 33.2 59.8 63.4 Acetate : Propionate 2.76 2.79 2.66 3.2 a 2.95 b ph 6.26 6.22 6.23 6.47 6.45 Bermuda grass Acetate 20.1 20.7 20.2 55.7 a 59.9 b Propionate 6.6 7.1 7.3 15.9 a 18.0 b Butyrate 3.3 3.9 3.5 4.9 a 7.4 b Total VFA * 30.0 31.7 31.0 76.5 a 85.3 b Acetate : Propionate 3.32 3.24 3.13 3.71 a 3.60 b ph 6.27 6.26 6.27 6.37 a 6.35 b a,b Means within the same row with different superscripts differ significantly (P<0.05) *Sum of the molar concentrations of acetate, propionate and butyrate
Efficacy of dietary supplementation with yeast culture for grazing dairy cows and for calves 125 conducted a field trial in Florida in which 5,472 Holstein cows were fed DVXP or live yeast (YeaSacc 1026 ). DVXP increased milk production to a greater extent than live yeast did (27.1 kg/d vs. 26.1 kg/d; P<0.01). These results concur with those of Alshaikh et al. (2002). The ability to stimulate the production of rumen volatile fatty acids (VFA), particularly propionate, is an important attribute of effective rumen modifiers. O Connor et al. (2002) used an in vitro system to evaluate the effect of Biosaf and Procreatin 7 (SAF Agri, Minnesota, USA) on VFA production from alfalfa hay or coastal Bermuda grass hay (Table 2). In a previous study conducted at the same laboratory, Sullivan and Martin (1999) evaluated DVXP using the same types and amounts of substrates. DVXP increased VFA production but Biosaf and Procreatin 7 did not (Table 2). The treatment responses relative to the controls for these two studies (Table 3) show that DVXP stimulated VFA production more than Biosaf or Procreatin 7 did. The continuous culture study of Miller Webster et al (2002) substantiates these effects (Table 4). Total VFA production was increased by 8% when A Max (Vi Cor, Iowa, USA) was added to the medium and by 15% when DVXP was added. Propionate production with A Max was 24% greater than that of the control and 83% greater with DVXP. These results show that differences exist between yeast products in respect of their ability to stimulate animal performance and rumen fermentation. Table 3 Post incubation molar concentrations of VFA from in vitro fermentation of alfalfa hay in the presence of Procreatin 7, Biosaf (O Connor et al. 2002) or Diamond V XP Yeast Culture (Sullivan and Martin 1999) expressed as a percentage of that of the respective control treatments. Response (%) Total VFA* Acetate Propionate Procreatin 7 +0.6 0.9 0.0 Biosaf 1.8 4.6 +2.3 Diamond V XP +6.0 +3.6 +12.9 * Sum of the molar concentrations of acetate, propionate and butyrate The effect of DVXP on the productivity of livestock in pasture based systems Grazing trial 1 Forty four multiparous Friesian and Jersey Friesian cows at a commercial dairy in Victoria, Australia, were supplemented with DVXP or monensin sodium (Rumensin; Elanco Animal Health, Indiana, USA). Cows that had been lactating for 4 10 weeks were allocated to treatments according to milk production during their previous lactations. The experimental period lasted for 15 weeks. From calving, all the cows were fed a pelleted supplement twice daily at milking and had access to ryegrass and clover pastures. The pellets contained 14% crude protein (CP) and 12.9 MJ/kg ME on a dry matter basis. Pellets were fed at rate of 7 kg/d during weeks 1 3, 4 kg/d during weeks 4 8 and 6 kg/d during weeks 9 15, after which the trial was terminated. The dietary regimen was formulated to supplement pasture nutrients. The pellets supplied 60 g/d DVXP or 250 mg/d monensin. Cows were milked twice daily and milk yield was recorded using flow meters. Data were analysed as a randomised complete block design replicated over time using the GLM ANOVA procedure of the NCSS 2004 Statistical Package (NCSS, Utah, USA). Cows supplemented with DVXP tended to produce more milk than those supplemented with Rumensin but the difference was not statistically significant. The results are consistent with those of Erasmus et al. (2000) who compared DVXP with a control treatment and a Rumensin treatment using 15 multiparous Holstein Friesian cows per treatment. In this trial, DVXP tended to increase milk yield by 3.1 kg/d over Rumensin. Further research is needed to establish whether DVXP is a viable alternative to Rumensin. Grazing trial 2 Sixty two multiparous Friesian cows at a dairy farm in Victoria, Australia were used in this trial. The diet of half the cows was supplemented with 60 g/d DVXP, which was added to the feed in the milking parlour. All cows Table 4 Production of VFA, acetate, and propionate (mm/d) from a ground mixture of corn silage, haylage, ground corn, soybean meal and urea by a continuous culture of rumen microbes in the presence or absence of DXVP or A Max (adapted from Miller Webster et al. 2002). Treatment Statistical significance Control DVXP A Max A Max DVXP vs. Control vs. A Max Total VFA* 370 426 398 0.04 0.04 Acetate 212 200 212 NS NS Propionate 75 137 93 NS 0.01 *Sum of the molar production of acetate, propionate and butyrate
126 Kamande et al. calved between 2 September and 23 October 2003. Animals were allocated to the DVXP or control (non supplemented) treatments according to parity and milk production during the previous lactation. The diet consisted of green chop (temperate ryegrass mixed with clover), pasture silage, straw, vegetable cannery waste, citrus pulp, hominy meal, cereal grains and canola meal, which was offered in a feed bunk, and rolled grain, which was fed twice daily in the milking parlour. The diet was formulated to contain 17% CP, 10.3 MJ/kg ME and 35 38% neutral detergent fibre (NDF) on a DM basis. Feed allocation was based on an assumed daily intake of 26 kg DM during early lactation and 20 kg DM at the end of lactation. The study was conducted over a nine month period during which the yields of milk, milk fat and milk protein were recorded every three weeks. The experimental design was a randomised complete block replicated over nine periods. Data were analysed using the GLM ANOVA procedure of the NCSS 2004 Statistical Package (NCSS, Utah, USA). Cows were condition scored at the conclusion of the trial using a scale of one (thin) to eight (fat). Both treatment groups had a body condition score of 5.1 at the end of lactation. Cows supplemented with DVXP produced more milk than the controls (P<0.05) but milk fat and protein content did not differ (Table 5). Milk yield is shown in Figure 2. The milk production response to DVXP was not apparent during the initial period. This may indicate that the effects of DVXP have a lag time. In a study conducted with cows fed mixtures of kikuyu grass, ryegrass and white clover pasture, Dobos et al. (personal communication, 1998) found there was a period treatment interaction for milk yield. The peak milk yield response to DVXP occurred five weeks after commencement of supplementation and declined during mid lactation. The extent of this increase was 1.6 kg and is similar to that reported by others (Williams et al. 1991; Wohlt et al. 1991; Wang et al. 2001; Robinson 2002). Some studies reported that DVXP increased feed intake (Williams et al. 1991; Wohlt et al. 1991; Dann et al. 2000) or increased feed utilisation by increasing rumen microbial growth and fermentative activity (Weidmeier et al. 1987). Other studies (Dann et al. 2000; Erasmus et al. 2000; Wang et al. 2001) indicated that DVXP increases the net energy for lactation of the feed consumed. Other grazing trials Two other grazing trials were conducted: one in Australia (Dobos et al., personal communication, 1998) and the other in Argentina (Corbellini et al., personal communication 1998). The former trial was carried out with 51 multiparous mixed breed dairy cows fed pastures (kikuyu, ryegrass, white clover) supplemented with lupin and wheat. The trial lasted from calving to 105 days after calving. Cows supplemented with DVXP produced 0.6 kg/d more milk (3.5% FCM) over the period than the controls (Table 6). The difference in milk yield Control DVXP Table 5 The effect of dietary supplementation with DVXP on milk production and composition in dairy cows. Milk yield Milk fat Milk protein (L/d) content (%) content (%) Control 25.2 a 4.14 3.33 DVXP 27.4 b 4.12 3.35 SEM 0.49 0.05 0.02 a,b Means with different superscripts within columns differ significantly (P<0.05) Milk Yield, L/d 40 35 30 25 20 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Trial Period, weeks Figure 2 Milk Production over the trial period. Table 6 Effect of DVXP on milk production and composition in two trials in which cows were fed pasture. Control DVXP Change Dobos et al. (1998) 3.5% FCM (kg) 21.6 a 22.2 b + 0.6 kg Fat (%) 3.12 3.13 Protein (%) 3.22 3.08 Corbellini et al. (1998) 3.5% FCM (kg) 20.5 a 23.6 b + 3.1 kg Fat (%) 3.1 3.3 Protein (%) 2.8 2.8 a,b Means with different superscripts within rows differ significantly (P<0.07)
Efficacy of dietary supplementation with yeast culture for grazing dairy cows and for calves 127 attained statistical significance after week 4 of lactation, reached 1.6 kg/d during peak lactation and gradually decreased thereafter. The study of Corbellini (personal communication, 1998) involved three dairy farms and 245 Holland Argentine cows, which were allocated to either a control or a yeast culture group. During the pre calving period (20 30 days before calving), cows were put on a variety of pastures and supplemented with legumes, a mixture of ground corn, wheat bran and grass hay. After calving, the animals were fed high quality pastures consisting of red clover, white clover, alfalfa, rye grass and native grass, and supplemented with 4 6 kg/d concentrates plus a mixture of legume and grass hay. The daily allocation of concentrate for the test group was top dressed with 60 g DVXP. Cows fed the yeast culture produced 3.1 kg more milk than the controls. DVXP did not affect milk composition in this trial or that of Dobos et al. (personal communication, 1998). Calf trial 1 Seventy Wagyu Friesian and Friesian calves (3 7 days of age) were used in a 21 week study to determine the effect of DVXP on pre and post weaning performance. Calves were purchased from various farms after they had been fed colostrum and whole milk for 3 7 days. Calves were assembled in a central location in Glenrowan, Victoria, and stratified into two treatment groups consisting of a basal diet with or without DVXP according to mass and breed. Each group consisted of 19 Wagyu Friesian calves and 16 Friesian calves. The mean mass of the calves at the start of the trial was 47.8 kg. Calves were offered a calf starter diet, straw and water ad libitum. The calves were reared in groups of 10 in calf sheds and were weaned when the mean weekly intake of calf starter meal for the pen was equivalent to a daily intake of 2 kg/calf. From week 1, calves received 1.5 L of milk replacer daily. The feeding rate for the milk replacer was increased to 4 L/d by day 35. After week 9, calves were moved into four outdoor pens (two pens per treatment). Calf starter meal, straw and water were freely available. The starter meal was formulated to contain 18% protein and 13.1 MJ/kg ME (DM basis). Calf mass and starter meal intake were recorded weekly. The DVXP treatment received starter meal containing 2% DVXP during weeks 1 15 and 0.75% DVXP during weeks 16 21. The experimental design was a randomised complete block design replicated over time. Data were analysed using the GLM ANOVA procedure of the NCSS 2004 Statistical Package (NCSS, Utah, USA). Calves fed DVXP consumed 18% more feed and gained 14.3% more weight pre weaning. The age of weaning was reduced by two days (Table 7). DVXP improved the distribution of individual calf live weight gains (Figure 3); most DVXP calves weighed 140 180 kg. Post weaning liveweight gain, starter meal intake and feed conversion efficiency did not differ between treatments. These responses are consistent with those of Lesmeister et al. (2004). Calf trial 2 This trial was conducted in Canterbury, New Zealand, and compared the effect of DVXP and extruded cottonseed on the mass gain of calves. Forty eight mixed breed calves aged 7 10 days were randomly allocated to either the DVXP treatment or the cottonseed treatment. All calves received colostrum (2 3 days) and milk (5 7 days) prior to the start of the trial. Calves were weighed at the beginning of the experiment and after 17, 45 and 71 days. The calves were held in groups of 12 and a milk replacer (Denkavit, Voorthuizen, Netherlands) was group fed twice daily for 45 days at a rate calculated not to exceed an individual intake of 1.5 L fed twice daily. Milk replacer allocations were reduced to one feed daily when the mean daily individual intake of concentrate meal attained 500 g for two or three consecutive days. The starter concentrate meal (Rural South Standard, Canterbury, New Zealand) was supplemented with 100 g/kg extruded cottonseed (control) or with 12 g/kg DVXP. The concentrate meal was formulated to contain 19% CP, 14.2 MJ/kg ME, 7.2% acid detergent fibre, 360 g/kg bypass protein, 110 g/kg bypass fat, 0.55% Ca and Table 7 Effect of DVXP on the performance of calves aged 1 8 weeks. Item Control DVXP % Change Number of calves 34 34 Weight gain (kg) 37.1 a 42.4 b +14.3 Intake (kg) 62.2 73.4 +18.0 Days to weaning 55.1 53.1 3.6 FCR (kg feed per kg gain) 1.68 1.72 +2.4 a,b Means with different superscripts within rows differ significantly (P<0.05) Figure 3 Effect of Diamond V XP Yeast Culture on distribution of liveweight gain in calves aged 8 weeks.
128 Kamande et al. 0.27% P. The cottonseed meal contained 35% CP, 64% bypass protein, 16% bypass fat, 19.6 MJ/kg ME, 1.5% lysine, 0.5% methionine and 1.17% isoleucine. Animals were given free access to the concentrate feed, straw and water. The experimental design was a randomised complete block replicated over time. Data of one calf from each treatment was excluded from the analysis because of abnormally low feed intake and growth. Data were analysed using the GLM ANOVA procedure of the NCSS 2004 Statistical Package (NCSS, Utah, USA). DVXP increased average daily gain by 11.3% relative to that of the extruded cottonseed treatment (Table 8). Lesmeister et al. (2004) reported that supplementation with 2% DVXP resulted in fewer but larger papillae in the lining of the rumens of calves. This may explain why the DVXP calves were ready for weaning (concentrate intake of 500 g for two or three consecutive days) earlier than the controls. Table 8 Live weight (kg) and average daily gain (ADG, kg/d) of calves supplemented with DVXP or extruded cottonseed. Conclusion The trials reviewed here suggest that dietary supplementation with Diamond V XP yeast culture improves production efficiency of grazing dairy cows and of calves under Australian and New Zealand conditions. These improvements may be due to a stimulatory effect on rumen function. As in vitro and in vivo trials indicate, the efficacy of yeast products differs; thus, selection of yeast products that have been subject to scientific testing is strongly recommended. References Extruded cottonseed DVXP Live weight Day 0 37.98 38.82 Day 17 50.22 52.61 Day 45 62.87 66.27 Day 71 79.60 84.59 ADG Day 17 0.72 0.81 Day 45 0.55 0.61 Day 71 0.59 0.64 Overall 0.62 0.69 Alshaikh, M.A., Alsiadi, M.Y., Zahran, S.M., Mogawer, H.H. and Aalshowime, T.A. (2002). Effect of feeding yeast culture from different sources on the performance of lactating Holstein cows in Saudi Arabia. Asian Australian Journal of Animal Science 15, 352 356. Britt, J.S., Thomas, R.C., Spear, N.C. and Hall, M.B. (2003). Efficiency of converting nutrient dry matter to milk in Holstein herds. Journal of Dairy Science 86, 3796 3801. Casper, D.P., Whitlock, L.A., Schauff, D. and Jones, D. (2003). Consider the intake/efficiency trade off. Hoard s Dairyman 148, 604. Dann, H.M., Drackley, J.K., McCoy, G.C., Hutjens, M.F. and Garrett, J.E. (2000). Effect of yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on prepartum intake and milk production of Jersey cows. Journal of Dairy Science 83, 123 127. Erasmus, L.J., Robinson, P.H., Hinders, R. and Garrett, J.E. (2000). Influence of prepartum and postpartum supplementation of monensin and yeast culture on performance of early lactation dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 83 (Supplement 1), 265. Kellogg, D.W., Pennington, J.A., Johnson, Z.B. and Panivivat, R. (2001). Survey of management practices used for the highest producing DHI herds in the United States. Journal of Dairy Science 84 (Supplement E), E120 E127. Lesmeister, K.E., Heinrichs, A.J. and Gabler, M.T. (2004). Effects of supplemental yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) culture on rumen development, growth characteristics, and blood parameters in neonatal dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 1832 1839. Lynch, H.A. and Martin, S.A. (2002). Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture and Saccharomyces cerevisiaelive cells on in vitro mixed ruminal microorganism fermentation. Journal of Dairy Science 85, 2603 2608. Miller Webster, T., Hoover, W.H., Holt, M. and Nocek, J.E. (2002). Influence of yeast culture on ruminal microbial metabolism in continuous culture. Journal of Dairy Science 85, 2009 2014. O Connor, M.H., Martin, S.A. and Hill, G.M. (2002). Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on in vitro mixed ruminal microorganism fermentation. Professional Animal Scientist 18, 358 362. Robinson, P.H. (2002). Yeast products for growing and lactating dairy cattle: impacts on rumen fermentation and performance. Dairy Review. University of California, November 5, Vol. XI, No 9. Shingoethe, D.J., Linke, K.N., Kalscheur, K.F., Hippen, A.R., Rennich, D.R. and Yoon, I. (2004). Feed efficiency of mid lactation dairy cows fed yeast culture during the summer. Journal of Dairy Science 87, 4178 4181. Sullivan, H.M. and Martin, S.A. (1999). Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on in vitro mixed ruminal microorganism fermentation. Journal of Dairy Science 82, 2011 2016. Wang, Z., Eastridge, M.L. and Qiu, X. (2001). Effects of forage neutral detergent fiber and yeast culture on performance of cows during early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 84, 204 212. Wiedmeier, R.D., Arambel, M.J. and Walters, J.L. (1987). Effect of yeast culture and Aspergillus oryzae
Efficacy of dietary supplementation with yeast culture for grazing dairy cows and for calves 129 fermentation extract on ruminal characteristics and nutrient digestibility. Journal of Dairy Science 70, 2063 2068. Williams, P.E.V., Tait, C.A.G., Innes, G.M. and Newbold, C.J. (1991). Effects of the inclusion of yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae plus growth medium) in the diet of dairy cows on milk yield and forage degradation and fermentation patterns in the rumen of steers. Journal of Animal Science 69, 3016 3026. Wohlt, J.E., Finkelstein, A.D. and Chung, C.H. (1991). Yeast culture to improve intake, nutrient digestibility, and performance by dairy cattle during early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 74, 1395 1400.
130 Kamande et al.