Subclinical ruminal acidosis is a metabolic disorder that occurs when rumen pH is lower than 5.8 for a minimum of 5 hours a day. Under these conditions, the growth of fibre-digesting bacteria declines, reducing feed efficiency. The aim of the project was to use milk fatty acids to detect rumen acidosis.
Researchers from Agrinova and Université Laval first measured rumen pH in real time using boluses ingested by over 100 cows on 12 farms. The pH data was collected over a 50-day period and analyzed using artificial intelligence tools. At the same time, the fatty acid profile of milk samples from the study cows was analyzed by chromatography and infrared spectroscopy.
Over 700,000 ph data and 3,000 milk samples were analyzed
Analysis of the relationship between rumen pH data and milk fatty acid profiles is currently underway. Preliminary results are promising for predicting acidosis from fatty acid profiles. Researchers are continuing their work to achieve greater accuracy in the prediction model. Acidosis is a difficult disease to detect, and its economic impact is significant. This project will provide a more affordable and accessible acidosis detection tool for Quebec dairy producers.
