Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyrate, are increasingly being researched as potential antibiotic growth stimulant replacements in animal husbandry. The purpose of this trial was to study the effect of adding sodium butyrate (SB) to whole milk (WM), starter mixture (SM), or both on some blood biochemical markers, and rumen fermentation in buffalo calves. For a three-month trial, 24 healthy Egyptian buffalo calves (4-6 days old, 32.9±2.9 kg body weight) were randomly assigned into four groups (n=6 each). The first group served as a control without SB supplementation (WM-/SM-), whereas the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th experimental groups received 0.3% SB in WM (WM+/SM-), 0.3% SB in SM (WM-/SM+), and 0.3% SB in both WM and SM (WM+/SM+), respectively. SB supplementation in WM was significantly associated with higher blood glucose levels throughout the whole trial. Furthermore, high overall means of blood urea (51.9 mg/dl) and Glucose-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (G1PHD) (39.9 µm) were recorded in WM-/SM+ calves. Rumen pH increased significantly in WM+/SM- and WM-/SM+ calves, but the acetate: propionate ratio decreased in the WM+/SM+ group. In summary, adding SB supplements to a starter mixture, whole milk, or both have a favorable impact on rumen cell proliferation and fermentation characteristics.
Key words: Sodium butyrate, whole milk, starter mixture, blood biochemical parameters, rumen fermentation, buffalo calves.
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