Effect of Brown Seaweed Waste Supplementation on Lactational Performance and Endocrine Physiology in Holstein Lactating Cows

This study was conducted to investigate effects of the brown seaweed waste(BSW) supplementation on milk production and related endocrine response in serum in Holstein dairy cows. A total of 14 Holstein dairy cows(initial mean live weight 625kg, average lactation days 225, Reproduction 2.4) were randomly allocated into control(basal diet) and treatment groups (4 % BSW/basal diet) with 7 replications for 90 days. Dry matter intake was not affected by brown seaweed waste supplementation, but daily milk yield(kg) at the last experiment significantly increased (6.25 kg) in treatment group compared with control group(p < 0.05) at the last experiment. The plasma insulin-like growth factor(IGF)-1, triiodothyronine(T 3) and thyroxine(T 4) levels were significantly increased in treatment group compared with control group(p < 0.05), although the concentration of plasma growth hormone(GH) was not significantly different. Milk composition was not significantly different between groups. The somatic cell count(SCC) in milk were significantly reduced in treatment group compared with control group(p