ARTICLE FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE June 2024 65 by a negative energy balance during the transition phase. The total energy requirement per kg of BW of a goat producing 5 kg/d of milk (or sheep producing 3.7 k/d of milk) is equivalent to that of a cow producing 61 kg/d of milk,” said Antonello Cannas, Professor of Animal Nutrition and Feeding at the Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Sassari, Italy. To stimulate feed intake levels, a few things are important: the quality of the forage, the particle size, the energy and NDF content, the level of protein and the supplements (e.g. yeast) used. For example, for particle size we should use half the size compared to what is used in cow diets. “It is also recommended to divide the animals in groups, based on BCS, twinning rate, stage of pregnancy and tailor rations accordingly. Automatic feeding systems can be used to individual dose concentrates,” Cannas said. IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COLOSTRUM For all newborn animals, the quality and the quantity of colostrum is important to kickstart growth and to supply them with good nutrients and certain antibodies. Lysiane Duniere, Research Scientist in Microbiology for Lallemand Animal Nutrition at the Ruminant Center of Excellence explained that colostrum quality can be negatively affected by oxidative stress (heat stress, …), sub-clinical diseases and metabolic disorders during the whole gestation phase. Duniere pointed out some of the study results where a rumen specific live yeast was given in the diet of gestating ewes (3-4 weeks before parturition until parturition). “We saw that the supplemented ewes showed stabilization of microbial populations along the gastrointestinal tract, leading to better nutrient usage and better energy partitioning. It also had a beneficial effect on colostrum quality. Compared to the non-supplemented group, the live yeast increased the oligosaccharides, lactoferrin and IgG levels in the colostrum. This will help to produce more resilient and heavier lambs (+270 grams compared to control group), which are important prerequisites for survival rate and performance. Also, antioxidant supplements (like organic selenium with high levels of bioavailable selenium) are recommended for gestating animals, and have been shown to improve the antioxidant status (and hence quality) of the colostrum.” SILAGE QUALITY AND ANIMAL HEALTH Lysiane Duniere – together with colleague Bernard Andrieu - also delved into the importance of silage quality, and its relationship with animal health. “Producing a good quality silage is all about controlling the fermentation and the dry matter content. Studies in cattle showed that high quality silage increased important fibrolytic populations and lactate users, while decreased opportunistic pathogens (compared to low quality silage). The use of inoculants is important to produce high quality silage. A trial in dairy goats compared a classic silage inoculant with an antioxidant inoculant. The latter improved the silage antioxidant capacity and ruminal VFA concentration, increased IgG levels, decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines. And this was also reflected in better milk quality. Duniere explained: “This trial showed that inoculating alfalfa silage with an antioxidative inoculant (specific strain) can act as a functional feed to improve the rumen fermentation, antioxidant capacity and immune performance, as well as the goat’s milk nutritional and antioxidant composition. This is a clear example where silage quality has a direct impact on animal health.” HOW TO PREPARE FOR HEALTHY WEANING David Yáñez-Ruiz, senior scientist at the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) in Granada addressed the im-
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