350 Examining the effect of a butyrate-fortified milk replacer on gastrointestinal microbiota and fermentation in dairy calves at weaning.

With rising opposition to the prophylactic use of conventional antimicrobials in livestock production, there is increasing interest in the development of diet-derived alternatives. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced throughout the gastrointestinal lumen by gut microbiota, and is the primary energy source of rumen epithelial cells and colonocytes. Work from our group and others has demonstrated beneficial effects of exogenous...