The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate under field conditions the effect of a probiotic containing Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis on young lamb mortality and sheep milk production when administered in the late pregnancy and lactation feed of ewes. In a sheep farm, two groups of milking ewes with identical genetic material, management, nutrition, health status and similar production characteristics were formed. One group (46 ewes) served as control, while the other one (48 ewes) served as a probiotic-treated group. Both groups of ewes received a similar feeding regiment, but the ewes of the second group were additionally offered a probiotic product containing B. licheniformis and B. subtilis (BioPlus 2B, Chr. Hansen, Denmark) at the approximate dose of 2.56 x 10(9) viable spores per ewe per day. Lamb mortality during the 1.5 months suckling period, and milk yield during the 2 months of milk collection for commercial purposes have been recorded. In the non-treated control group, 13.1% mortality was observed versus 7.8% in the probiotic-treated group (P = 0.33), with mortality being mainly due to diarrhoea. Microbiological examination of diarrhoeic faeces from some of the dead lambs in both groups revealed the presence of Escherichia coli. The average daily milk yield per ewe was significantly lower in the control group (0.80 l) than that in the probiotic-treated group (0.93 l) (P < 0.05). Fat and protein content of milk in ewes that received probiotics was significantly (P < 0.05) increased compared with untreated ewes. It was concluded that supplementing ewe's feed with probiotics may have beneficial effect on subsequent milk yields, fat and protein content.

Over an entire lactation 891 milk samples were collected from 99 ewes in a well-managed dairy flock. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated from 53 (5.9 per cent) of the samples, with 13 (6.6 per cent) of the glands giving coagulase-negative staphylococci in two or more consecutive samples. When a somatic cell count threshold of 6 x 10(5)/ml of milk was adopted as an indication of inflammation, 30 of the milk samples collected during early and mid-lactation, which contained coagulase-negative staphylococci, were considered to come from glands suffering subclinical mastitis. In five glands subclinical mastitis persisted for the entire lactation. A comparison of somatic cell counts measured with the fossomatic or Coulter counters suggested that the former gave the most reliable values, particularly in late lactation. After the experimental infection of 20 glands of meat breeds with coagulase-negative staphylococci, five glands remained infected for all 49 days of observation and seven glands excreted bacteria intermittently. Irrespective of the presence of coagulase-negative staphylococci in the sample, the composition of the milk from the challenged glands was significantly modified (P < 0.0001 for the infected, and P < 0.01 for the uninfected glands). Fat and protein concentrations were increased and lactose decreased, suggesting that although coagulase-negative staphylococci could not always be isolated, they persisted in many of the challenged glands and continued to influence the physiology of the gland. This possibility was supported by the presence of severe damage to the udder tissue of glands in which bacteria had been shown to be present for long periods.

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This field study assessed the efficacy of a probiotic based on viable spores of Bacillus subtilis C-3102 (Calsporin; Calpis Co. Ltd., Japan) on the health status and productivity of sows and their litters through 2 full, sequential reproductive cycles from service of the first cycle to weaning of the second cycle. Fifty-six sows were allocated to 2 experimental groups, an untreated control (T1) group and a probiotic-treated (T2) group that received the same basal feed as the T1 group plus the probiotic at an approximate allowance of 30 g/t of feed (3 × 10(5) cfu/g). The offspring of T1 and T2 sows were offered basal and T2 creep feed (3 × 10(5) cfu/g), respectively. Health and zootechnical parameters of sows and piglets were recorded. Feeding the probiotic to sows and piglets resulted in significant benefits, observed in both cycles: 1) improved sow body condition during pregnancy (P < 0.05), 2) increased sow feed consumption, 3) reduced sow weight loss during lactation (P < 0.05), 4) reduced sow weaning-estrus interval (P < 0.05), and 5) higher BW of piglets at weaning (P < 0.05). Additionally, a significant (P < 0.05) improvement in piglet birth weight and in the number of piglets weaned was observed in the second cycle of T2 sows, while a significant improvement of mean daily gain of piglets from birth to weaning was observed in the first cycle of T2 sows. Microbiological examination of fecal samples showed that probiotic treatment significantly reduced both Escherichia coli and Clostridium spp. in piglet feces, particularly during the second cycle. The data suggested that continuous feed supplementation with the probiotic is beneficial for both sows and piglets, since zootechnical benefits were observed in both cycles.

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