Yucca schidigera extract and Saccharomyces cerevisiae alters the rumen microbiome in high yielding dairy cows

Nitrogen (N) loss from livestock agriculture, via reactive compounds such as ammonia and nitrous oxide, can affect feed efficiency, production and the environment. An option for an on-farm strategy to reduce N loss is to add dietary supplements to the total mixed ration (TMR) including Yucca schidigera extract, which contains antimicrobial steroidal saponins and ammonia binding properties, and yeast, which has been reported to stabilise rumen pH and promote fibre degradation by the rumen microbiome.