This research communication reports the responses to supplementing dairy cattle with a hydrogenated fat-embedded calcium gluconate feed additive. The role of hindgut health in ruminant performance and wellbeing is an area of growing interest. Various prebiotic compounds have been used to promote lower gut health in various non-ruminant species. Calcium gluconate, a prebiotic compound, has previously been observed to increase milk fat yield when fed to ruminants in a form capable of resisting fermentation in the rumen, though the mechanism(s) behind this response remain unclear. The objective of this study was to compare the responses of lactating cattle to two different supplementation levels of a hydrogenated fat-embedded calcium gluconate (HFCG) product to evaluate a potential linear dose response. Forty-six lactating Holstein dairy cattle were used in a 3 × 3 replicated Latin square design with 28 d periods to evaluate a previously used dose of HFCG (approximately 16 g/d) with both a negative control and a dose of 25 g/d. Supplementation of multiparous animals with 16 g/d HFCG significantly (P < 0.05) increased milk fat yield and content relative to the negative control, and subsequently improved gross feed efficiency (P < 0.05); additionally, the presence of a potential non-linear dose response was observed for these parameters. Responses when supplemented with 25 g/d HFCG did not differ from the negative control. No production responses were observed in primiparous animals. The mode of action of HFCG, in addition to the potential differential response in primiparous animals remains unclear and warrants further investigation.
Keywords: Hindgut; milk fat; prebiotic.