Farm trial on X-Zelit and anionic salts from Australia
The blood tests showed a high calcium level for both treatments - and they further showed that X-Zelit treated cows had a higher level of serum calcium than cows treated with Bio-Chlor (Figure 1).
Figure 1. The calcium concentration in serum around calving
A higher calcium level during calving has a positive effect on many production characteristics. Among other things, the high level contributes to the cows being more vigorous after calving and having a higher feed intake. The higher feed intake is in this trial indicated by the rumination data (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Rumination in minutes per day over the first 82 days of lactation
The rumination time was higher from the start of lactation for the X-Zelit group as well as throughout the 82 days during, which the cows were observed. This indicates that cows that are off to a good start in lactation, retain the benefit for a very long period. The result is consistent with the Cornell experiment, where a 30 minutes/day increase in rumination was observed in the first week of lactation.
Increased rumination / higher feed intake results in more milk. The daily supply of milk solid (fat and protein) is shown in figure 3.
The yield is higher from the start of lactation for the X-Zelit group, and the X-Zelit group maintains a higher yield level throughout the first 82 days of lactation.
More and more farmers are taking blood samples right after calving to monitor the cows' plasma calcium levels. This is a simple and very effective way to assess the herd's dry cow feeding. Rumination is also a very useful indicator of the cow's activity and production level.