Critical Challenges in Dairy Cow Herds can be Addressed with Direct-Fed Microbial say Novonesis – INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES

Maintaining healthy dairy cows is essential for sustaining and improving production levels. As the global focus on sustainability grows, producers are increasingly turning to direct-fed microbials (DFMs) or probiotics at every stage of a cow’s life cycle, to strengthen gut integrity, enhance immune function, and optimise nutrient absorption.

Novonesis, which was formed through the merger of Chr. Hansen and Novozymes, is leading innovation in this area with new DFMs for the ruminants sector. Feedinfo interviewed Novonesis experts, Dr. Bruno Ieda Cappellozza, Global Technical Product Manager for Ruminants, and Dr. Oscar Queiroz, Senior Global Portfolio Manager for Ruminants, to discuss the evolving role of DFMs in improving dairy performance and sustainability, the advancements in their product portfolio, and the company’s future plans in this field.

[Feedinfo] What do you believe are the biggest challenges animal husbandry professionals face when considering dairy cow herds?

It is paramount to support the health status of the herd, even though some of the potential adverse health events occur sub-clinically and may not be easy to recognise.

 [Feedinfo] With many different feed additives available to producers why do you believe they should be prioritising probiotics or DFM in ruminant nutrition?

strengthening the integrity of the intestinal epithelial cells, modulation of the immune system, modulation of the bacterial community in the rumen and/or lower GIT, and formation of biofilm at the cellular level of the lower GIT.

These benefits mentioned are general and each species or strain may be better or worse in each of these traits. Moreover, some DFM (i.e., Bacillus spp.) are also able to produce a wide range of enzymes that may increase the degradation of the nutrients in the rumen and lower GIT, yielding more substrates to be used for maintaining the health and performance of the herd.

It is noteworthy to mention that there are several bacterial species and strains fed to ruminants as DFM. We need to understand the traits of these bacteria in order to determine if they are a good fit for a specific operation. For example, the chosen bacteria may need to survive and thrive under challenging conditions, such as the pelletization and exposure to difficult environmental conditions.

[Feedinfo] Do you feel DFM can play a role of addressing some of the challenges faced by ruminant producers?

[Dr. Bruno Ieda Cappellozza] The straightforward answer is yes, and the answer also relies on what we have discussed in the previous question. Evidence shows that DFM bring health benefits to the host, and we know that healthier cows will be more productive. On top of that, DFM showing an enzymatic ability will also lead to a greater degradation of the feed in the GIT, ultimately benefiting milk production and feed efficiency of the herd.

[Feedinfo] How can DFM support pre-weaning calves?

 [Dr. Bruno Ieda Cappellozza] Several challenges are faced by the newborn calf, including a novel environment, management, diet, and encounters with potentially harmful bacteria that may lead to the occurrence of gastrointestinal and respiratory issues in the first 2-3 months of life. On top of that, several peer-reviewed journal publications reported that the occurrence of these issues have long-term lasting effects in the performance of the herd once the cow becomes mature and is lactating. It is imperative to support the health and growth rates of the calf, if you want them to be the productive cow in your herd in the next 2-3 years.

 Direct-fed microbials support the health of the calf by reducing the occurrence of these aforementioned issues and, in turn, increasing the body weight of the calves at weaning. More recently, a study was conducted in a commercial dairy farm in Brazil where good bacteria were fed to the female calves during the pre-weaning period via the milk (Magalhães et al., 2024 - JDS 107:6117-6130). These authors reported that the occurrence of gastrointestinal and respiratory issues was alleviated when the DFM were fed and at weaning, the calves fed DFM were also heavier. The mechanisms by which the positive results were reported may include the modes of action discussed earlier, but also the fact that DFM may stimulate the development of intestinal and ruminal cells, likely increasing the uptake of nutrients that can be used for growth of the calves.  

[Feedinfo] Since we spoke to you in March, how has your product portfolio in the area of DFM moved forward?

[Dr. Oscar Queiroz] It is moving at high speed! Our recently launched Bovamine® Defend Plus product has established itself among the leading North American beef market brands. Bovacillus®, our first global probiotic brand for beef and dairy, is expanding into new geographies such as New Zealand, Vietnam, China, and Uruguay. This product is also gaining traction in the USA, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia, and we hope to expand to Europe soon.

The merger of Chr. Hansen and Novozymes has a massive impact on how our portfolio will look in the future. We will be able to have new strains and products to tackle new and existing dilemmas faced by producers.

[Feedinfo] What is next for Novonesis in this area?

 [Dr. Oscar Queiroz] We are committed to solving the needs of cattle producers everywhere. We will continue to deliver natural solutions to improve profitability and sustainability at the farm level. we know sustainability can be achieved by supporting animal health, improving feed efficiency, and reducing emissions.  We know there is a gap in the cattle market regarding natural solutions that can directly and consistently mitigate methane production and deliver a high return on investment. We are investing time and resources to close that gap. Novonesis is also considering using new technologies to maximise the impact of our solutions on supporting the health status of animals.