Effect of Natural Oil Blend Formulation (NOBF) on Milk Production and Productivity in Dairy Cattle

Ali Agus, Haig Babikian, Rajeev Kumar Jha, Chusnul Hanim and Tigran Davtyan

Background and Objective: The effect of a blend of three essential oils, eucalyptus oil, pine oil and lavender oil, was investigated on dairy cows' performance. The trial's main objective was to evaluate the performance of Natural Oil Blend Formulation as antibiotics and growth promoter replacement by maintaining the milking quality and quantity. Materials and Methods: Thirty Holstein Friesian crossbred lactating cows, averaging 514 kg b.wt., were assigned into two groups, 15 cows in each group. The experiments lasted for ten weeks, with the first two weeks as the adaptation period, followed by eight measurement weeks. All cows were weighed at the beginning and end of the experiment. Blood samples were collected from the caudal vein at the end of the trial. The parameters studied were lactation dairy cattle on dry matter intake, body weight and milk production. Results: The trial outcome stated that the addition of Natural Oil Blend Formulation (NOBF) has no adverse effect on Dry Matter Intake (DMI), Average Daily Gain (ADG) and Fat-Corrected Milk (FCM) 4%. However, cattle in the treatment group tend to be higher in DMI (0.51 kg, p = 0.12) and higher in ADG (0.19 kg, p = 0.11). The blood biochemical were unaffected by treatment. However, calcium tends to be higher (p<0.1) compared to control. Conclusion: In conclusion, NOBF supplementation may improve milking cows' feed utilization and performance, however, the underlying mechanisms leading to this improvement merit further investigation.

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