Case Studies

Improving Milk Production in Dairy Cows

Serbia

Overview

In 2017, Mr. Djordje Cvetkovic and Mr. Ivan Milojevic established Lumax 011 d.o.o. in Serbia. Since 2018, they have been operating as our Authorized Distributor. They have successfully promoted EM Technology in the field of animal husbandry over the past 5 years.

Starting EM Application in Dairy Farm

Since 2017, Lumax 011 d.o.o. started working in the field of dairy farming. Initially, EM ZOO Probiotics (EMZP) *(1) was mixed with milk to prevent diarrhea in calves. The effect was not only maintaining their health and rumen development, but also resulted in an improvement of the first insemination in heifers fed with EMZP during the first month of life.

EM Application Trial for 3 Months

In 2019, Lumax 011 d.o.o. monitored 3 groups of 70 dairy cows for 3 months to see the differences within cows consuming EMZP compared to other cows. TMR (Total Mixed Ration) supplemented with EMZP was administered to the EM group daily. Before the experiment started, the cows in the test group had a very low appetite, compared to the control group.
See the graphic results below.

・The Y-axis of the graph shows the milk yield index (0 to 50)
・The blue area shows the recommended feeding index (the amount of feed they should have eaten)
・The red area shows the amount of feed consumed
・The yellow line shows the milk production of the group

Effect and Results
・Milk production decreased in the control group at a high THI (Temperature-Humidity Index). However, it was stable in the EM group even in the same situation.
・In the EM Group, milk yield remained almost at the same level even when feed intake decreased.
・Milk yield increased by 0.2 L per cow/day.
・The protein level of the milk increased by 0.27 after approximately a month and remained stable at the same level.
・Somatic cell counts in raw milk decreased by 85,000.*(2)
・Health condition was better in the EM group.

EM Application in TMR

In 2020, Lumax 011 d.o.o. collaborated with many more dairy farms in Serbia.

Dairy farms reported the results of EM application in TMR as follows:
・Milk yield increased by 1.6 L per cow/day.
・On average, the fat and protein content of milk increased by 0.2 points.
・Somatic cell counts significantly decreased. *(2)
・Decrease in diseases such as indigestions and abomasum displacement, resulting in less labor and improved worker efficiency.
・Decreased in chemical use.

All dairy farms started applying EM Technology in TMR and silage to maintain cows' health and the quality of milk production. As cows' health is closely related to barn hygiene, some farms also spray EM on barns to ensure good hygiene.

The Results After One Year

After consistently using EM Technology for a year, the most noticeable improvements were in reproduction. Early in the trial, reproductive examinations confirmed significantly higher ovarian activity, which subsequently led to the following results:
・35% less money spent on treating low ovarian activity and other reproductive disorders compared to the two previous years (2023 vs. 2021-2022).
・A 4.5% higher conception rate compared to the two previous years (12.12% higher compared to 2022). More importantly, there were 160 more pregnant cows than in the previous year (2023 vs. 2022).
・Calving interval (days from birth to birth in the same caw) was also reduced by 12 days.

*(1) ”EM ZOO Probiotics” is available in Europe only.
*(2) Somatic cells in milk, primarily leukocytes, are indicative of udder health. A high somatic cell count is often associated with udder infections, which can adversely affect milk quality.

Special Thanks to Cooperators with Lumax 011 d.o.o.:
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Dr.Vladimir Gurjanov
Mr. Shai Gur-Arie from EM-ZOO Israel
Mr. Jun Matsumoto from EMRO Germany

For further information, please contact our partner in Serbia:
Lumax 011 d.o.o.