Preventing and Alleviating Milk Fat Depression By Feeding 1,3-Butanediol to Cows

Two trials determined effects on milk composition of feeding 5% 1,3-butanediol (BD) diets to lactating cows. The first trial with seven cows tested whether BD would alleviate milk fat depression. The second trial with 12 cows was designed to determine if BD would prevent fat depression. Comparisons were between a preliminary period on a normal diet and an experimental period on a fat-depressing diet with and without BD. In both trials, milk fat percentage and total fat production were higher for the cows fed BD than for the controls but were slightly lower than during the preliminary period when a normal ration was fed. Fat-depression diets increased milk protein percentage compared with the preliminary period in Trial 1, but there was no difference in either trial caused by BD feeding. Cows fed BD maintained milk production at the preliminary period average, but controls declined slightly. 1,3-Butanediol feeding had no consistent effect on l~rnen pH or rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations. Blood ketone concentrations were higher for the cows fed BD, but BD feeding had little effect on blood glucose. 1,3-Butanediol seems to have strong possibilities as a feed additive to prevent or alleviate milk fat depression in lactating cows. 1097