Table 1.
Nutritional composition of the partial mixed ration (PMR).
Table 2.
Ingredient and nutritional composition of the control and treatment pellet.
Fig 1.
Total pellet allocated (control + treatment) to control cows and cows supplemented with S. baicalensis during the first 5 d (SBE5) or 60 d (SBE60) of lactation.
Data were analyzed by treatment period (wk 1–9) and carryover period (wk 10–36). Total pellet allocation was greater for SBE60 compared to control during the wk 1–9 (P < 0.01) and from wk 10–43 (P = 0.02). Total pellet allocation did not differ between SBE5 and control during either wk 1–9 (P = 0.77) or wk 10–43 (P = 0.13). A treatment × week interaction was detected (P < 0.001), and differences between SBE60 and control are indicated by *(P < 0.05) and † (P < 0.10). Values are LS means ± pooled SEM, n = 39–42.
Table 3.
Weekly total pellet offered, milk yield, and milking frequency for cows fed control or S. baicalensis extract for either 5 d (SBE5) or 60 d (SBE60) following calving.
Data were analyzed by treatment period (1–63 DIM) and carryover period (64–301 DIM). Values are LS means ± pooled SEM, n = 39–42.
Fig 2.
Milk yield of control cows and cows supplemented with S. baicalensis extract (SBE) during the first 5 d (SBE5) or 60 d (SBE60) of lactation.
Data were analyzed by treatment period (wk 1–9) and carryover period (wk 10–43). Milk yield tended to be greater for SBE60 compared to control from wk 1–9 (P = 0.07) and was significantly greater from wk 10–43 (P = 0.04). Milk yield did not differ between SBE5 and control during wk 1–9 (P = 0.35) or wk 10–43 (P = 0.73). A treatment × week interaction was detected (P < 0.03), and differences between SBE60 and control are indicated by *(P < 0.05) and † (P < 0.10). Values are LS means ± pooled SEM, n = 39–42.
Table 4.
Rumination time through 120 DIM and milk composition for the first 17 weeks of lactation of control cows and cows supplemented with S. baicalensis extract (SBE) for either 5 d (SBE5) or 60d (SBE60) following calving.
Values are LS means ± pooled SEM, n = 39–42.
Fig 3.
Somatic cell count (SCC) of control cows and cows supplemented with S. baicalensis extract (SBE) during the first 5 d (SBE5) or 60 d (SBE60) of lactation.
Data were analyzed for the treatment period (wk 1–9) and carryover period (wk 10–17). Somatic cell count was not different between SBE5 and control during wk 1–9 (P = 0.37) or wk 10–17 (P = 0.29). Somatic cell count was decreased for SBE60 compared to control during wk 1–9 (P = 0.02), but not during wk 10–17 (P = 0.13). No treatment × week interaction was detected (P = 0.16). Values are LS means ± pooled SEM, n = 39–42. Differences between SBE60 and control are indicated by *(P < 0.05) and † (P < 0.10).
Fig 4.
Body condition score (5 point scale) from 3 weeks prepartum to 29 weeks postpartum for control cows and cows supplemented with S. baicalensis extract (SBE) for the first 5 d (SBE5) or 60 d (SBE60) of lactation.
Least square means across time were 3.40, 3.30, and 3.31 ± 0.06 for CON, SBE5, and SBE60, respectively. BCS differed by week (P < 0.001), but there were no differences by treatment (P = 0.44) or treatment × week (P = 0.57). Values are LS means ± pooled SEM, n = 39–42.
Table 5.
Milk haptoglobin, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) on days 1, 3, and 5–12 of lactation for control cows and cows receiving S. baicalensis extract (SBE) for either 5 d (SBE5) or 60 d (SBE60) after calving.
Values are LS means ± pooled SEM, n = 39–42.
Table 6.
Disease incidence through 250 DIM for control cows and cows receiving S. baicalensis extract (SBE) for either 5 d (SBE5) or 60 d (SBE60) after calving.
Fig 5.
Survival plot for time to pregnancy through 250 DIM.
Data were right-censored at 250 d. There was no treatment effect on pregnancy risk (P = 0.35). The hazard ratios for treatment comparisons were as follows: 0.71 (95% CI: 0.40–1.25) for SBE5 vs. Con and 1.13 (95% CI: 0.67–1.92) for SBE60 vs. Con.
Fig 6.
Surivival plot for time to leave the herd through 250 DIM.
Data were right-censored at 250 d. The hazard of leaving the herd (cull or death) was not affected by treatment (P = 0.16). The hazard ratios for treatment comparisons were as follows: 1.85 (95% CI: 0.75–4.92) for SBE5 vs. Con and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.21–2.27) for SBE60 vs. Con.