Effects of Dietary Zeolite Supplementation on Milk Yield, Milk Composition, Digestion Coefficients and Nutritive Values in Holsten Cows

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Zeolite inclusion on lactating dairy cow’s ration on milk yield, milk composition as well as digestion coefficients, nutritive values, blood urea, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, and some liver enzymes. The experimental work lasted for two months. Seventy-two Holstein Frisian cows with average weight 650 ± 5 kg were randomly divided into three groups (24 cows each). Every group was fed one of three rations as follows: in ration-1 group (control), cows were fed on a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) without any Zeolite addition, while rations-2 and -3 were supplemented with 80 and 140 g. Zeolite/cow/day, resp. The TMR ration consisted of concentrate feed mixture (CFM), corn silage and clover hay. Milk production was recorded weekly, and evaluated for fat, protein and lactose values and percentages. Fresh feces samples were collected for five consecutive days and dried in oven at 65°C for 24 hrs., then pooled together, and stored in plastic bags and representative samples were taken for chemical analysis. Adding Zeolite (80 G. Cow/Day) Significantly (P< 0.05) Increased Organic Matter (OM), Crud Protein (CP), Crud Fiber (CF), Ether Extract (EE), Nitrogen Free Extract (NFE), Digestibility, Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) and Digestible Crud Protein (DCP). Milk protein, fat and lactose percentages were insignificantly and slightly affected by Zeolite additions. Furthermore, milk yield, Fat Corrected Milk (FCM), fat, protein, and lactose (Kg) of lactating cows was increased by adding Zeolite to basal ration. Generally, all values of blood urea, Alkaline phosphatase, AST and ALT enzymes in all groups in this study displayed approximately normal levels and did not seem to alter with Zeolite supplementation