Dietary Molasses Increases Ruminal pH and Enhances Ruminal Biohydrogenation During Milk Fat Depression

摘要

Recent work from our group and others has suggested that dietary sugars have the potential to increase milk fat synthesis by dairy cows in certain situations. Milk fat depression (MFD) is caused by an interaction of dietary factors which influence ruminal fermentation and the availability of unsaturated fatty acids (FA). Unique FA produced in this rumen environment are capable of altering mammary function to decrease synthesis of milk fat, and results from an initial study at Kansas State Universitysuggested that feeding 5% molasses could decrease the production of these MFD-inducing FA (Bradford and Titgemeyer, 2008). However, in addition to the signs of improved milk fat synthesis in molasses-fed cows, our previous study also showed a decrease in milk protein yield with the 5% molasses treatment.