An assessment on the effects of buffers on the productive, behavioral and metabolic parameters of Holstein dairy cows

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of supplementing sodium bicarbonate or a commercial blend of buffering agents (BBA) comprising calcareous calcitic, magnesium oxide, calcareous algae, and sodium bicarbonate on the productive, behavioral and metabolic parameters of Holstein cows fed starchy diets. Over a 60-day trial period, thirty-six multiparous cows with an average milk yield of 38.84 ± 9.24 kg/day and 63.74 ± 18.63 days in milk (DIM), were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (n = 18) received a supplementation of 1.1% dry matter (DM) of sodium bicarbonate (Raudi^®, Totalmix, Brazil), while the BBA group (n = 18) was administered with 0.5% DM of a blend of buffering agents (Equalizer^®, Nutron/Cargill, Brazil). The mean values of ruminal pH (control 6.80 ± 0.06 and BBA 6.77 ± 0.06; P > 0.05) and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production (control: acetate 62.63 ± 1.29%, propionate 22.99 ± 1.07%, butyrate 14.30 ± 0.52%; BBA: acetate 63.07 ± 1.32%, propionate 23.47 ± 1.10%, butyrate 13.70 ± 0.57%), were similar (P > 0,05) between the two groups. The value of faecal pH was higher (P < 0.05) in the BBA group (6.25 ± 0.02) than the control group (6.12 ± 0.02). Animals treated with BBA exhibited lower (P < 0,05) dry matter intake (DMI) (24.75 ± 0.64 kg/day), higher feed efficiency (FE) (1.64 ± 0.03), and reduced feeding frequency (52.89 ± 3.73 n°/day) than the control group (DMI, 26.75 ± 0.62 kg/day; FE, 1.50 ± 0.03; feeding frequency, 66.07 ± 3.64 n°/day). Milk production remained similar across both groups (control, 39.11 ± 0.92 kg/day and BBA, 39.87 ± 0.92 kg/day; P > 0.05). Notably, the control group displayed a higher (P < 0,05) concentration of milk protein (1.21 ± 0.05 kg/day) than the BBA (1.18 ± 0.05 kg/day) group. The study concluded that both treatments effectively buffered the rumen and mitigated the risk of ruminal acidosis. Moreover, the higher faecal pH in the BBA-treated group suggests potential intestinal action attributable to the synergistic effects of diverse additives with buffering properties. Despite a reduced DMI, BBA-treated animals exhibited improved FE.