ARTICLE 78 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2023 content for the baseline and intervention phases of the trial (Figure 3a). The baseline protein indication was 3.69 g/100g compared to 3.69 g/100 g in the intervention phase of the trial. Fat indication decreased from 4.32 g/100 g to 4.03 g/100 g. This was a statistically significant difference of 6.7% (Figure 3b). Bulk milk cell count averaged 283,200 BMCC during the baseline phase (Figure 4). Following the intervention phase, the BMCC was detected to be at the significantly reduced level of 151,100 BMCC. DISCUSSION The present study indicated that the dietary inclusion of Polygain™ significantly increased the average milk yield, whilst significantly decreasing both methane concentration and bulk somatic cell counts. These results are particularly relevant to farm management practices as they have been demonstrated in a commercial dairy farm environment. This is the first study relating to the use of the novel feed ingredient, Polygain™, in dairy cattle. However, previous studies in other ruminant species have suggested comparable results to what is reported in the present study. A previous study, in second cross lambs, that also used a feeding rate of Polygain™ at 0.25% of DMI reported a methane reduction of 49%, compared to the 34.7% reduction reported in the present study [18]. It is notable that the reduced methane associated with increased production has now been observed in two distinct species of ruminant animals. The relatively low dosage of 0.25% of dry matter intake is an interesting finding in both species. This may enable the adoption of technology with minimal alterations to the typical diet and management practices on farms. These results demonstrate a comparable decrease in methane concentration detected in the feed bin during milking; however, it is worth evaluating the differences in these studies whilst comparing these results. There are several possible explanations for Figure 3. (a) Mean protein concentration during the baseline collection phase (week 1–3, before Polygain™) and during the following 3-week intervention period (week 4–6, After Polygain™). (b) Mean fat indication concentration during the baseline collection phase (week 1–3, before Polygain™) and during the following 3-week intervention period (week 4–6, After Polygain™). * Indicates statistical significance (p < 0.05). Figure 4. Bulk tank average somatic cell count for the 3-week intervention phase with the sugarcane extract (before polygain) compared to the average of the 3-week Polygain™ intervention. * Indicates statistical significance (p < 0.05).
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