Effect of oral administration of Megasphaera elsdenii on performance of Holstein cows during early lactation

Primi- and multiparous Holstein cows (n = 162) at a commercial dairy herd were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: control (no dose; n = 44); 200 mL of Lactipro (Megasphaera elsdenii, 1 × 108 cfu/mL; MSBiotec, Littleton, CO) when cows entered (~−14 DIM) the late gestation pen (n = 45); 200 mL of Lactipro at 1 to 3 d postpartum (n = 39); and dosed both prepartum and postpartum (n = 34). Late gestation cows were fed 72% forage (63:37 corn silage and wheat straw), and upon calving, cows entered the high-producing group and were fed 40% forage (90:10 corn silage:wheat straw). There were no differences (P > 0.10) in daily and peak milk yields among treatments. Compared with control and cows dosed both pre- and postpartum, cows with ≥3 lactations dosed prepartum produced 4.3 and 5.6 kg/d more milk, respectively, and 5.6 and 5.8 kg/d more (P < 0.05) peak milk, respectively, but did not differ from those dosed postpartum. The test-day milk fat and protein percentages were similar among treatments. Based on urine ketones, only 2.5% of the cows experienced clinical ketosis, but cows with ≥15 mg/dL urine ketones were 8.33, 14.3, 14.3, and 0% for control cows and cows dosed prepartum, postpartum, or both, respectively. Health incidences and reproductive performance did not differ among the treatments. Based on this study, dosing with M. elsdenii prepartum may result in greater milk yield by high-producing (higher parity) transition cows. Concentrations of dietary starch and NDF fed both prepartum and postpartum may affect animal response to dosing with M. elsdenii.