Effect of feeding buffer on feed intake, milk production and rumen fermentation pattern in lactating animals: A review

Abstract

The dairy industry is under pressure to fulfil the increasing demands of milk and milk products. For this reason, dairy farms are growing in size and utilizing state-of-art technologies in an attempt to improve their productivity and efficiency. Additionally, dairy entrepreneurs face the challenge of maintaining the quality of milk. Higher concentrate mixture is required to maintain the production of lactating animals. Feeding high concentrates to high producing animals often upset the rumen environment and compromising the productivity of animals. Different feed additive is used to prevent the occurrence of sub-acute rumen acidosis, among them buffers are commonly used. Studies have shown that buffers not only maintain the rumen homeostasis but also increase the productivity of animals. The literature pertaining to the effectiveness of supplementation of dietary buffer on feed intake, milk production and rumen fermentation pattern in lactating animals is being presented in this review.