A new feed supplement with ties to Chinese herbal technology has shown to significantly increase milk production, according to one Cal-Poly Pomona test and the experience of a Chino-area dairy.

The product - - know as Conlic for California dairymen - - has long been used in Asia where a limited number of cows for a growing population has dictated maximum milk production. There the supplement, a combination of advance biotechnology and Oriental herbal science, has imporoved the nutrient uptake in cows and has apparently increased intestinal bacteria to enhance the digestion of animal feed.

The year-long Cal-Poly Pomona Colic trial on a commercial dairy showed and average 8.67 percent in crease in milk production, which was statistically significant. Lead investigator in the trial, Dr. John Trei with the university's Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, cautioned that while the conclusions of the first trial look promising, additional studies should be done to further corroborate the initial date. "The feed supplemental does look promising withaverage milk production from the Conlic-fed cows 8.6 percent higher than the non-treated pupulation," said Trei.

Dr. Lawson Spicer, an independent nutritional consultant collected DHIA production data for the trial. The experiment was at a Chino dairy with two groups of cows, approximately 100 cows per group in aflat barn milked twice a day. One group was fed 25 grams per head per day of Conlic mixed in the barn grain mix. All cows were fed the barn grain and a concentrate-alfalfa haylage and alfalfa hay in the drylot (total ration: 60 percent concentrate and 40 percent roughage).

The feed supplement cam in one-pound packages and wa mixed in the barn grain at a formulated rate equating 25 grams per cow. The grain along with the feed supplement was dispersed from a feed cart with shovels to the cows.

"During the first three months of the trial, quality ofhte alfalfa hay fed to Conlic-supplemented cows was unintentionally much lower, yet production was three percent better (not statistically significant) than the control cows," said Spicer. "After three months the quality of the hay was evened-out between the two groups.

"There was a significant increase in milk production among the treated cows," Spicer said.

Trei also reported a nonsignificant six percent greater pounds of butterfat for the treated cows during the fourth through tenth months of the feeding the material. "Somatic cell count was significantly lower - - 218,000 versus 396,000 for the treatment and the control cows, respectively, for the first through third months."

Trei said the values of percent protein of milk and reproductive (days open and services per conception) parameters were similar.

In a similar trial by National Chiayi Agricultural College in Taiwan, Conlic (under the name of "japox") also showed increases in milk production. In the 305 day, full-lactation period trial the control group fo cows produced an average 12,240 pounds of milk, while the Japox groupd produced 15,100 pounds - -a 23.4 percent increased in production.

The feed supplement has also been show to decrease services per conception. In the Taiwas trial services per conception decreased from 3.4 to 3.0 for the cow fed Conlic (Japox). "For the trial in Chino, data was not definitive in this area," said Trei.

According to Sean Lin, with Grotek Inc. the developer of conlic, the material contains a selected strain of Bacillus subtilis which is know to produce a variety of enzymes to break down complex feed molecules into simpler nutrients. "These smaller components are more readily absorbed by te animal, or are used by other intestinal bacteria for growth and maintenance of a proper microbial balance in the gut," said Lin.

The supplement also contains special nutrients to promonte growth fo beneficial intestinal bacteria, Lin noted. "There are a group of unique active peptides which have been identified to be an essential intestinal growth of lactate bacteria, yeasts and other microbes," he said.

The product also claims to contazin the world's only garlic supplement produced through a proprietary aging process. "During the aging process, garlic's concentrated active compounds are mellowed and the harsh, iritating , odorous compounds found in raw garlic are converted to dozens of valuable, stable, safe and odorless compounds," said Lin. "The again process was adapted from ancient Chinese herbal technology."

Lin said that it is believed that garlic has beneficial effects on repoduction, however science has never been able to answer how.

"It definitely helped increased the milk productionon our cows," said Garret Bootsma of Garret W. Bootsma and Sons LLC in Chino, which was the experimental dairy in Trei's trial. It is currently milking 250 cows twice a day.

"It has worked for us, but I tink it would be even better for a larger dairy with higher producing cows," said Garret's son Jim. "It's probably not a good investment to feed the supplement to you low-end cows, producing below 40 pounds per day. The increased productin is not going to be significant compared to the high producters," Jim said. The response from the product seems greater when cows are under stress, such as during the hot summer, noted Lin.

Lin said that the cost of the supplement has been reduced to 15 cents per cow per day. "At that cost, it's very cost-effective," said Garret. "Because the numbers looked so good we continued using Conlic on our entire herd after the trial was over and continued seeing increased milk production."

Garret noted that the response was greater in the stronger, fresh cows than the weaker cows. "I don't think I would give it to the whole herd, instead, I would add it to the top producers' mix to maximize the dollar.

The data shows that assuming a milk price at $11/CWT and daily output at 60 pounds per cow, an increase milk production by 8.67 percent, the return on the 15 cents per cow per day would be about 57 cents per cow per day.

Another way to look at it is on annual return. If a cow was producing about 18,300 pounds per year, the increase would be 1,587 pounds. The incremental cost of that increase would be approximately $45.75 (.15 x 305 days) The incremental return would be $174.57 (1,587 x 11.0/100).