Effect of Supplementation of Live Yeast Culture on Nutrient Digestion and Milk Production in Crossbred Dairy Cows

Twelve Holstein Friesian lactating crossbred cows of comparable live weight (289 to 430 kg B.wt.), milk yield (5.70 to 13.90 kg/d), lactation numbers (2 to 6) and stage of lactation (67 to 116 days) were randomly divided into two equal groups. Cows under control group (T,) were fed on a balanced concentrate mixture containing 40 per cent yellow maize, 15 per cent wheat bran, 7 percent molasses, 2 percent mineral mixture and 1 per cent common salt and cows under test group (T₂) were fed with control diet supplemented with 10 g Yeasacc ¹⁰²³ per day per cow for seven weeks. A digestion trial was conducted during the last week of feeding experiment. Average dry matter intake in groups T₁ and T₂ were 11.58±0.08 and 11.45±0.20 kg/day, respectively and variations among groups were non-significant. The milk yield (4% FCM) at the start of the experiment and at the end of the experiment in groups T₁ and T₂ were 9.04±1.19 and 9.20±1.37; 9.40±1.06 and 8.75±1.13 kg/day, respectively and variations among groups were non-signiflcant. Digestibility coefficients of nutrients also did not vary significantly among the groups. Supplementation of Yea-sacc¹⁰²⁶ at the level of 10g/cow/day in the concentrate diet did not influence the whole tract digestibility of nutrients in lactating cows.