Question

What is the impact of low starch levels on cows?

Answer 1

Starch that can ferment easily is one of the major constituents of the diet of high milk producing dairy cows. The rumen bacteria in the cows convert starch into propionate and then into glucose in liver.

Starch may be converted directly into glucose in small intestine but since affects the lactation performance of cow it is included in the dairy cattle diet.

Increase in level of starch negatively affects the health of rumen associated metabolism. High starch may cause sub-acute ruminal acidosis and inflammation based on the observations of ruminal pH & lipopolysaccharide, and serum proteins

Thus lower starch diets are formulated and fed to the cows during the early lactation period as effective dietary strategy.

Instead of starch a fermentable carbohydrate is crucial implement a low-starch feeding to dairy cows.