Subject: effects of Bicar®Z on milk production and in ruminal acidosis prevention
The aim of the trial was to study the effects of the supplementation of 250 gr of Bicar®Z on milk production in 3 high performing dairy farms and its importance in preventing ruminal acidosis.
Conditions of the study: supplementation of 250gr of Bicar®Z
A study was conducted in 2014 in 3 high-performing dairy farms in Belgium:
- Farm A (Control Group): 40 dairy cows, Bicar®Z was not used
- Farm B (Trial Group): 108 dairy cows, was already using 120 gr of Bicar®Z per cow per day + live yeast
- Farm C (Trial Group): 100 dairy cows, was already using 100 gr of Bicar®Z per cow per day
During the trial period, each farm increased the supplementation of Bicar®Z in their animals’ ration up to a total amount of 250 gr per cow per day.
Results
With a total dosage of 250gr of Bicar®Z added to the animals’ ration, all 3 farms observed a significant increase in milk production:
- Farm A: + 4 kg/cow/day
- Farm B: + 1.83 kg/cow/day
- Farm C: + 2.56 kg/cow/day
At the end of the trial, all 3 farms returned to their previous Bicar®Z dosage and milk production dropped.
Conclusions: what can you learn from this study?
The supplementation of Bicar®Z allows to enhance ingestion, milk production and survival rates in situations where animals are likely to be at risk. In such events, it is particularly recommended to add 250 gr of Bicar®Z per cow per day (1% of DM) and up to 350 gr of Bicar®Z per cow per day (1.5% of DM) in case of heat stress, with costs as low as 10 cents per cow per day.
Similar studies were carried out also in The Netherlands, Spain and Germany with significant positive outcomes.