Efficacy of nucleotide supplements on productivity parameters and immune response

The ADSA ASAS joint annual meeting, held in Orlando, Florida this past week, included more than 2,200 presentations and posters by scientists from all over the world and more than 40 symposium, workshops and events. Subjects included animal healthcare and wellness, dairy production, animal and human nutrition, cattle transport and food safety. More than 100 exhibitors attended to learn about the latest solutions in these services and products.

At the Orlando meeting, Elisabet Borda, head of R&D in Bioiberica’s animal nutrition division, presented the latest study on the efficacy of Nucleoforce™ Cows. This study was directed towards the efficacy of nucleotides in dairy production, productivity parameters and immunity in high-yielding Holstein cows.

Preliminary evidence suggests that supplementation with nucleotides improves fertility in dairy cows, most probably due to improvements in the immunity of the reproductive tract. The study involved 260 Holstein cows that were divided into two groups. Over an eight-month period, the first group received a standard diet while the second group received the same diet supplemented with  Nucleoforce™ Cows (4g/cow/day).

Milk production was measured on a daily basis, with milk composition being measured on a monthly basis during the experimental period. In addition, days passed from labor to the first impregnation and from labor to fertile mating were monitored.

Both groups received the vaccine against Clostridium after six months of treatment. Scientists took blood samples from 170 of the cows to carry out IgG tests on the first day of vaccination, as well as four months later.

Vaginal mucus samples from 40 cows were also taken during the first impregnation.

As expected, no alterations were found due to the treatment, neither in total yield nor in milk composition. These results suggest that nucleotide supplementation improves overall immune system markers, as well as the immunity of the cows’ reproductive tracts.

This fact explains the improvements reported in fertility as well as in embryo quality for animals fed with Nucleoforce™ Cows.