Volume: 2, 2023
2nd International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: A004
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL2.A004
Published online: 19 April 2023
ICDSUPL, 2, A004 (2023)
Effect of supplementation of dairy cows with herbal mixtures on their performance and selected blood indices
Julia Fabjanowska1*, Renata Klebaniuk1, Edyta Kowalczuk-Vasilev1, Wioletta Samolińska1, Magdalena Moczulska1, Bożena Kiczorowska1, Szymon Milewski1
1 Institute of Animal Nutrition and Bromatology, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: julia.fabjanowska@up.lublin.pl
Abstract
The continuous improvement of dairy cattle towards high milk yields, particularly combined with poorly balanced nutrition, can trigger homeostatic disturbances in the animal’s body. Phytobiotics can supplement deficiencies of essential bioactive substances in the diet or provide nutritional support for dairy cows, especially during the intensive production period (i.e. periparturient and lactation periods). To verify the hypothesis that the use of herbal mixtures improves the health status in animals, the present experiment was focused on assessment of the effect of supplementation of cows with a herbal mixture on their performance, hematological and biochemical parameters, and the mineral profile of blood plasma in the first period of lactation. The experiment was carried out in a herd of 150 Holstein-Friesian dairy cows divided into two groups (C – control, E – experimental). In each group, five subgroups of cows were distinguished, depending on their physiological state and performance. The herbal mixture prepared according to the author’s own recipe (Thymus vulgaris, Echinacea purpurea, Origanum vulgare) was the experimental factor. The additive was administered to the cows at a dose of 50 g/100 kg b.w./day from one week before the planned calving until the end of the third month of lactation. During the experiment, the feed intake, the daily milk (FCM) yield, and selected hematological and biochemical indices of cows’ blood were assessed. The addition of the experimental herbal mixture to the feed ration contributed to optimization of the blood morphological and biochemical indices, especially affecting the blood mineral profile. The multidirectional properties of the herbs used and their potential synergistic effect on cows’ blood parameters in the first phase of lactation suggest that the herbal mixture can be an important supplement to cow nutrition, as it maintains homeostasis in the animals’ organism, thereby contributing to improvement the overall health status of the herd.
How to cite
J. Fabjanowska, R. Klebaniuk, E. Kowalczuk-Vasilev, W. Samolińska, M. Moczulska, B. Kiczorowska, S. Milewski, 2023. Effect of supplementation of dairy cows with herbal mixtures on their performance and selected blood indices. In: 2nd International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL2.A004