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Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports
2000; Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station contribution; no. 01-166-S; Report of progress (Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service); 861; Dairy; Ionophore; Health; Efficiency
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Monensin: An Overview Of Its Application In Lactating Dairy Cow Diets (2000), J.M. Defrain, John E. Shirley
Monensin: An Overview Of Its Application In Lactating Dairy Cow Diets (2000), J.M. Defrain, John E. Shirley
Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports
The efficiency of feedstuff utilization by ruminal microorganisms and the cow's genetic ability to convert feed nutrients into milk and milk components are major factors that influence the profitability of a dairy herd. Monensin's ability to modify the movement of ions across biological membranes leads to alterations in bacterial populations and subsequent changes in the proportion of volatile fatty acids produced during ruminal fermentation. Manipulating ruminal microbial populations with ionophores has the potential to improve performance by reducing ketosis, acidosis, and bloat and increasing digestive efficiency. Monensin improves fiber digestion by preventing suboptimal ruminal pH, enhances amino acid use by …