Role of Herbal Feed Additives in Improving Dairy Health

Anshu Rahal, Yanshi and Ashoka Kumar

Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, GBPUAT, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand-263145

Herbal feed additives, which include herb, spices and botanicals, nowadays are commonly used in animal production due to ban on antibiotics which leave harmful residual effects and are moreover costly. These feed additives in dairy animals usually improve taste, digestibility, activate secretion of digestive secretions, possess antimicrobial, anti- bacterial, anti-viral, antioxidant, anti-parasitic, anti-inflammatory and immune-stimulant activity which are exploited in animal feeding in order to produce safe food product for consumers. Herbal feed additives are natural constituent of feed, eco-friendly, non-hazardous since leaves no residual effect after inclusion in diet and there is negligible problem of drug resistance.