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Ongoing product research is the best way to validate efficacy and discover new potential uses. The team at Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production recently concluded three studies to discover the effect that feeding a Bacillus-based feed additive, CERTILLUS™, has on digestive health, ruminal bacterial populations, milk production, daily dry matter intake and milk production efficiency in dairy cows.

“The original focus with CERTILLUS was on its ability to control pathogens in dairy cows,” says Dr. Ben Saylor, Dairy Technical Services Manager. “While our regional formulas still do that very effectively, these trials along with numerous in vitro experiments conducted at The ScienceHearted Center have helped us see that CERTILLUS really influences all three pillars of a resilient cow: pathogen control, rumen function and hindgut integrity.”

The first study was conducted in conjunction with Oklahoma State University, the second study was field-based and conducted at a commercial farm in New York state and the third study was field-based and conducted at a commercial farm in California.

All three studies showed that feeding CERTILLUS significantly increased energy corrected milk (ECM) yield, either through increased milk fat concentrations or milk volume. CERTILLUS was found to impart numerous other benefits in these studies, including improved milk production efficiency, and reduced concentrations of key inflammatory markers in the blood, specifically haptoglobin and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP).

“We’re discovering new and exciting benefits of feeding this Bacillus-based feed additive all the time,” notes Saylor. “If you’re ready for a more resilient herd, it’s time to introduce your cows to CERTILLUS.”