Make rumen health a priority for best returns

John Lawrence, Senior Mineral Supplements Technical Manager

Looking after the rumen bugs and ensuring good rumen health is the key to efficient production and managing rumen pH is vital.

It should be as close to pH 6 as possible, to ensure optimal rumen function. Below pH 5.8 fibre digestion can be reduced, impacting milk production and feed efficiency.

Sub-Acute Rumen Acidosis (SARA) is caused by rations high in rapidly fermentable carbohydrates or low in fibre, causing repeated periods of ruminal pH below 5.6.

Sodium bicarbonate has been a longstanding buffer, but recently the cost has increased significantly. Whilst it is a quick-acting buffer, it is required at high feed rates and has a short-lived buffering capacity, meaning now might be a good time to consider something else.

The UK’s largest supplier and manufacturer of direct-to-farm rumen buffer products:

Combi-BUF™

Combi-BUF is a combination of carefully selected rumen buffers which absorb acid and alkalisers to make the rumen less acid. It is a blend of buffering and alkalising components which give a phased-release effect over a longer period.

Helps promote an improved rumen and microbial environment by raising rumen pH levels
Helps encourage higher dry matter intakes
Allows energy-rich diets to be fed containing higher levels of fermentable carbohydrates
Effective at promoting volatile fatty acid production, leading to raised milk yield and fat levels
Enhanced beneficial rumen bacteria activity
Promotes fibre digestion

Incorporate 100-200g per cow per day, dependent on the level of acid in the diet and SARA challenge.

How does live yeast help with rumen health?
Some rumen bacteria produce acid, others use up acid. The oxygen scavenging mode of action of X1-LIVE™ yeast promotes the beneficial acid-utilising bacteria and reduces the acid-producing bacteria thus improving rumen pH.

These beneficial rumen bacteria require an anaerobic environment (without air). As a cow eats, she ingests oxygen within the feed. This oxygen reduces the efficiency of the rumen both by taking up space (assumed to be around 15%) and means that the rumen environment is not ideal for the beneficial rumen bacteria as it is not anaerobic.

Live yeast and rumen efficiency:

Fibre digesting bacteria	Live yeast
Cannot tolerate oxygen	Scavenges oxygen
Hate sugar - acid	Love sugar - preventing acid build-up

X1-LIVE™ has been specifically selected by Mole Valley Farmers because it helps stimulate the bacteria that digest fibre and those that mop-up acid. X1-LIVE contains the only yeast shown to do both, hence the improvements in rumen efficiency and performance.

Unlike many other live yeasts, X1-LIVE reduces rumen lactate production AND increases fibre digestion. A significant body of supporting, peer-reviewed research shows that its active ingredient enhances digestibility and promotes efficiency.

Why use X1-LIVE yeast?

X1-LIVE yeast works particularly well when the rumen is under greater challenge with diets containing higher levels of cereals and rapidly fermentable starch.
Assists when feeding wet or acidic forages.

More milk from the same feed or the same milk from less feed

X1-LIVE™ is an excellent quality specific strain live yeast and represents great value for money. It gives you the option of maximising milk production or producing the same quantity of milk more efficiently and in either case whilst not at the expense of fertility.