Livalta Cell HY40 in dairy cows: From lab to barn

To help us define Livalta™Cell HY40 product value and application recommendations for dairy cows, over the last 3 years we have been conducting a large number of highly controlled, scientific in-vitro and in-vivo studies. In these studies, published in peer-reviewed scientific papers as we progress, it has been observed that Livalta™Cell HY40 can trigger different reactions from e.g. modulating the immune system, stimulating gut development, increasing dietary nutrient / energy availability to changing the gut microbiome and its metabolites. These various factors in their concerted actions can ultimately lead to an improved animal performance and welfare.

In a series of in-vitro rumen fermentation studies, conducted with rumen fluid from Livalta™Cell HY40 (0 - 20 g/h/d) habituated cows fed a medium fermentable TMR, we observed a minimum 10% increase of microbial biomass production (MBP, mg/g) at a simultaneously improved fermentation efficiency (MBP/ OMD). This is indicative to an approximate theoretical ruminal increase in milk yield of 3 kg/d.

Guided by those in-vitro results, and to confirm the robustness and feasibility of the Livalta™Cell HY40 recommendations, product evaluations at commercial dairy farms in the Americas and Europe have been initiated. Study farms and timing/ duration have been chosen to minimize environmental, managerial, and dietary changes throughout the study. Make the lives of farmers easier! Milk yield and composition of cows fed Livalta™Cell HY40 supplemented TMRs were collected for minimum of 3 to 10 weeks and compared with data of 1 to 4 weeks pre-study (baseline) or where feasible with data of a non-treatment group (CTRL) throughout the study.

To date, 9 studies with Holstein Frisian or Fleckvieh dairy herds of 108 to 600 head have been completed. The average butter fat and protein correct milk yield (ECM) per head per day for the treatment period was calculated and compared with the baseline/ CTRL to calculate the treatment effect.

Figure 1. Livalta™Cell HY40 effect on energy corrected milk yield (ECM, Reincke et al , 2018) at individual commercial farms measured over various periods of minimum 3 to 10 weeks.

The effect of Livalta™Cell HY40 ranged from 0.76 to 1.83 kg/h/ d ECM. At a milk price of 32 Euro/100kg this represents a ROI of 3 – 9 :1 on an increased milk yield only. Not accounting for potentially reduced somatic cell count and therapeutic/ prophylactic treatment of cows with antibiotics as observed on some of the farms.

Despite the limitations of conducting studies on commercial farms, the results to date support the findings from our ‘lab’ studies and demonstrate the economic and technical benefit of using Livalta™Cell HY40 in dairy operations.