Effects of Specific Essential Oil Compounds on Feed Intake, Blood Metabolites and Body Condition Score in Early Lactating Dairy Cows (original) (raw)

The objective of this study was to determine effect of dietary essential oil (EO) compounds, which contained cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, peppermint, coriander, cumin, lemongrass, and an organic carrier on feed intake, blood metabolites, and body condition score (BCS). Forty Holstein cows were assigned to one of two treatment groups: a Control and EO fed. The experiment lasted 50 days. Dry matter intake (DMI) was measured daily while blood metabolites and BCS were measured at d 30 and 50 of the experiment. In conclusion, our result showed that supplementation with EO mixture increased DMI and improved energy status as evidenced by lower BCS loss and improved some blood metabolic profiles at early lactation.