Natural stability
Phytogenic support for dairy cows
Infections, heat stress and metabolic pressure can place considerable strain on dairy cows, affecting immune function, udder health and milk yield. Phytogenic feed additives offer nutritional support through the ration during these demanding periods. Anta®Sync from Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition combines plant-based bioactive compounds that support processes linked to oxidative stress, immune defence and recovery – as part of a broader strategy for more resilient dairy herds.
A system under constant pressure
Modern dairy cows face considerable physiological demands every day. High milk production, transition stress, heat stress, negative energy balance and the continuous cycle of production and reproduction all place pressure on metabolism, immune function and milk synthesis. As long as this system remains stable, the cow can compensate for these challenges. When it falls out of balance, weak points emerge – creating opportunities for viral and bacterial infections as well as additional environmental stress.
The effects are often visible in udder health. Somatic cell count, or SCC, is one of the most important indicators in dairy farming. It is measured routinely in milk samples and used by processors as a marker of milk quality. For farmers, it is also an early warning signal: rising SCC can indicate inflammatory processes in the udder. As inflammation changes the udder environment, mastitis-causing bacteria can establish more easily, while the cow’s own defences may struggle to control them. High SCC and high infection rates therefore often occur together. Both reduce milk yield and can have a noticeable impact on farm income.
At the same time, the dairy industry is working to reduce reliance on routine antibiotic use. This increases the need for strategies that act earlier, including through nutrition. Practical approaches are needed that support immune function, help limit oxidative stress and assist cows during recovery from demanding health challenges.
How viral infections affect udder health
Most farmers know that mastitis-causing bacteria can increase SCC. Less obvious is the influence of systemic viral infections. These infections do not attack the udder in the same way as classic mastitis pathogens. Even so, they can affect udder health significantly because they place strain on the whole animal. Bluetongue virus, or BTV, is a clear example. It is transmitted by biting midges of the genus Culicoides and has become more common in parts of Europe in recent years. When a cow becomes infected, the immune system focuses on fighting the virus. This requires energy and metabolic resources that may then be less available for milk production and local immune defence in the udder.
For dairy farms, this is particularly challenging because BTV does not always cause obvious clinical signs. Even after fever, inflammation or lethargy have subsided, metabolism and immune function may remain affected for weeks. During this period, SCC often rises. Opportunistic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus can gain a foothold more easily when local defences are weakened. Under normal conditions, the immune system helps keep such bacteria under control. When the cow is under pressure from a systemic infection, this balance can shift. Milk yield falls, udder health remains unstable and recovery may take longer than the acute illness itself.
From treatment to stronger herd resilience
This raises a practical question for dairy production: how can cows be supported so they cope better with health challenges and return to stability more quickly? The focus is no longer only on treating individual cases of disease. Increasing attention is being given to the resilience of the cow – her ability to withstand infection, heat stress or metabolic pressure without a sustained loss in performance.
Nutrition and feeding management are central to this approach. Phytogenic feed additives can play a role as part of a broader nutritional strategy. They are not used to replace medicines. Their purpose is to support the animal through the ration, with a focus on processes that are relevant to immune function, oxidative stress and recovery after periods of strain.
What phytogenic feed additives are – and how Anta®Sync supports recovery
Phytogenic feed additives are not antibiotics, vaccines or medicines. They are nutritional solutions based on plant-derived ingredients. Anta®Sync from Dr. Eckel Animal Nutrition contains a carefully formulated blend of bioactive compounds from plants and herbs. It is designed to support cows during periods in which the body has to cope with health-related stress. Its value does not lie in one isolated mechanism. The plant-based components act on several biological processes that are relevant to health, immune defence and performance. This makes phytogenic feed additives particularly interesting in complex stress situations. After a BTV outbreak, the cow is rarely facing only one problem. Several factors often occur at the same time: inflammatory processes in the udder, oxidative stress in the tissue, opportunistic pathogens, a strained energy balance and an immune system that has not yet fully recovered.
A nutritional approach that addresses several of these levels in parallel can support recovery in such situations. This is what sets phytogenic feed additives apart from conventional therapeutic measures. They do not replace or suppress the cow’s own biological systems. Instead, they support and help regulate existing physiological processes. This makes them especially relevant when the cow is not only overcoming an acute challenge, but also rebuilding stability.
SCC, pathogens and milk yield: field results in practice
A recent field trial tested this nutritional approach in dairy herds after a bluetongue outbreak. The trial used a before-and-after design, comparing the situation one month after infection with the situation after a further month of Anta®Sync supplementation through the ration. The focus was on key indicators of udder health and performance. The changes within this month were clear.
Somatic cell count fell noticeably, indicating that inflammatory pressure in the udder was easing and the mammary immune environment was improving. The overall udder infection rate also fell by nearly half. The development of individual pathogens was particularly striking: after one month of supplementation, Staphylococcus aureus was no longer detected. This pathogen is one of the most challenging causes of mastitis because it can evade immune defence and persist in udder tissue. Aerococcus viridans also decreased substantially, by more than 70%.
These changes are relevant in practice. They do not simply reflect small numerical shifts, but a measurable change in the udder environment. Performance data improved in parallel: as udder health became more stable, milk yield increased. This is an important distinction. Anta®Sync was not used to artificially drive performance. The approach was to support the cow during recovery – helping reduce infection pressure, stabilise the udder environment and support the return to normal milk production.
Building resilience before the next challenge
Phytogenic feed additives often come into focus only once problems are already visible in the herd. The idea of resilience begins earlier. Herds that receive phytogenic supplementation on an ongoing basis tend to show lower baseline somatic cell counts, more active immune responses and stronger antioxidant reserves. When a new challenge occurs – whether bluetongue, a bacterial infection or the metabolic stress of peak lactation – these cows are better prepared to cope.
This does not mean that every disease event can be prevented. The decisive factor is the starting point. Cows with more stable metabolic and immune status are often better able to withstand pressure, recover more quickly and lose less production. For dairy farmers, this is what matters in daily practice. The aim is not only to respond to individual disease events, but to strengthen the resilience of the herd as a whole.
Anta®Sync can be part of this feeding strategy. Its combination of plant-based bioactive components is designed to support cows nutritionally during demanding periods – during infection, throughout recovery and while building longer-term stability in the herd. Producers who want to support herd resilience should consider feeding, metabolic status and udder health together. Anta®Sync can be integrated into the ration as a phytogenic component, aligned with the farm situation and the herd’s periods of stress.
