Flaxseed oil supplementation in Holstein dairy cows fed total mixed rations
Abstract
The effectiveness of flaxseed oil in managing increased oxidative stress during early lactation through feeding strategies prompted this study. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oral flaxseed oil supplementation on milk yield and blood antioxidant status in early-lactation Holstein dairy cows fed a Total Mixed Ration. Thirty multiparous Holstein cows (2nd–3rd lactation) were divided into two diets, 15 cows in each group. The control group was fed the Total Mixed Ration diet prepared as the control group, while the experimental group received an oral dose of 5 ml of flaxseed oil per day. The experiment lasted 28 days. Results. Milk yields of the animals on days 0, 14, 28, and 0–28 were not statistically affected by flaxseed oil supplementation. At the end of the experiment, Glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase values were significantly affected and were higher in experimental group. Other parameters were not statistically affected by the addition of flaxseed oil to the Total Mixed Ration. Oral administration of flaxseed oil in addition to Total Mixed Ration to dairy cows during early lactation provided protection against oxidative stress.
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