Feed a diet that stimulates rumen fermentation and prevents hindgut acidosis in cattle
During the transition to lactation, dairy cows are switched to a high energy diet and the amount of fast fermentable carbohydrates in the ration goes up. It is a well-known fact that this puts pressure on rumen fermentation, sometimes leading to subclinical rumen acidosis in cows (SARA).
More recent evidence suggests that acidosis in cows has an equally strong impact on the hindgut3,4,5. Signs that are typically attributed to acidosis in dairy cows, like for example loose and frothy faeces, are actually hindgut acidosis symptoms (see Figure 1)6,39.
Figure 1: pH and production of LPS in rumen, caecum and faeces of cows fed high amounts of grain compared to control cows. Increasing the level of starch in the diet resulted in acidosis in cows with a decreased pH and increased LPS both in the rumen and the hindgut (Adapted from Li et al, 2012).
