Effects of supplementing a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product on the prevention and control of digital dermatitis in lactating dairy cows

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP, NutriTek, Diamond V) on the prevention and control of digital dermatitis (DD) in lactating dairy cows. Materials and Methods: A blinded randomized, controlled field study on a commercial robot-milking farm was performed for 5 mo using the first 2.5 mo for the base phase and the last 2.5 mo for the test phase. A total of 968 lactating cows were enrolled in the trial distributed over 4 pens. The SCFP and control supplements were fed in their respective partial mixed ration. GoPro (https://gopro.com) images of the cows’ hind feet in the milking robots were scored to identify the presence of DD using an M-stage DD classification system. Results and Discussion: Pen-level analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in M-stage groups between the control and SCFP group during the base and test phases of the study. Cow level analysis indicated that the relative risk for having M2M2P lesions (ulcerated/active) versus having M0M4H lesions (healthy/contained) in the control group during the test phase was 1.8 times greater compared with the SCFP group. The transition from M0M4H to M2M2P lesions occurred more rapidly in the control group compared with the SCFP group. Implications and Applications: The supplementation of SCFP warrants further research as a potential DD prevention and control strategy in dairy cattle.