“B-vitamins are water-soluble vitamins that are essential nutrients for the metabolism of mammals. Ruminants, like dairy cattle, are provided B vitamins by their rumen microbes. Since the rumen microbes provide B vitamins to the animal, they are not supplemented in their rations because we assume that microbial sources meet the animal’s B vitamin requirements. As dairy cattle continue to increase their milk production, additional B vitamins may be helpful.”
In this article, Dr. Kirby Krogstad of the Department of Animal Sciences discusses the role that B vitamins play in dairy cattle nutrition. He breaks down the multiple types of B vitamins and explains their purpose, as well as discusses the possibility of supplementing these vitamins in a dairy ration.