The rumen microbial ecosystem and the ruminant are in symbiosis. Under ideal conditions the rumen has an anaerobic environment, constant temperatures, a stable pH, and sufficient microbial availability of water and nutrients. In this environment, rumen microbes ferment carbohydrates into nutrients such as volatile fatty acids to be used by the cow.
Consuming large amounts of highly fermentable carbohydrate-rich diets can cause excessive production and accumulation of volatile fatty acids in the rumen. If ruminal buffering does not sufficiently counteract volatile fatty acid production, the cow’s rumen acid balance will be disturbed, and ruminal acidosis will occur. This is a serious metabolic disorder, which can be fatal. Estimates state that for every cow in a herd with clinical ruminal acidosis, several have subacute ruminal acidosis.
Subacute ruminal acidosis is a milder form. Although it is not as severe, it has a greater economic impact on many farms because it is much more common than clinical ruminal acidosis. Subacute ruminal acidosis is a problem in the herd that often goes unrecognized and contributes to poor health and reduced productivity. This includes reduced milk fat, reduced feed intake and digestion, and reduced feed conversion efficiency—all which impact profitability.
Subacute ruminal acidosis is one of the major dairy nutritional disorders. Risk factors include early lactation, primiparous cows, heat stress, and errors in the ration’s calculation. Several measures can be taken to minimize subacute ruminal acidosis. Some involve feed management, such as particle size distribution, more frequent feeding, diet alterations, and improving cow comfort. Others are related to supporting and strengthening rumen function.
RumiPro® Top is a proprietary blend of probiotics and prebiotics. It is formulated to work synergistically to create optimal conditions for balanced rumen fermentation. The probiotic in RumiPro® Top is a highly active live yeast strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This metabolically active probiotic helps to promote anaerobic and cellulolytic microbial growth. The prebiotic in RumiPro® Top is a hydrolyzed yeast. It serves as a micronutrient source to stimulate microbial growth and rumen fermentation.
The synergy of ingredients in RumiPro® Top supports cellulolytic bacteria for improved fiber breakdown and stabilizes rumen pH by reducing lactic acid accumulation. Feeding RumiPro® Top can improve digestibility, increase feed intake, feed efficiency, and milk yield. RumiPro® Top is essential for dairy producers looking to optimize the health and productivity of their herd.