Abstract
There is limited information regarding the effectiveness of probiotic feed additives in the diet of lactating dairy cows. This study aimed to determine the effect that Fastrack probiotic had on the yield and milk quality measures of lactating dairy cows. To accomplish this goal, lactating Holstein cows (n = 80) were equally divided into two treatment groups: one supplemented with a probiotic (PRO) and one that did not receive the probiotic supplement (CON). The cows remained in their treatment groups for the duration of the 120-d study and were given ad libitum access to a total mixed ration consisting of 35% corn silage, 30% rolled corn, 10.5% soybean meal, 23% DDGS, and 1.5% mineral supplement. Cows on the PRO treatment were given 1 kg of DDGS once a day at milking that had the probiotic mixed in while the CON treatment were given 1 kg of the same DDGS that did not have the probiotic included. Preliminary results of this study show a decrease in individual treatment records for cows on the PRO treatment and an increase of 2 kg of milk yield per day.
Keywords: dairy, milk, probiotics