Approche RedOx en élevage laitier :Protocol & indication for the breeder

From Triple Performance
Technical articles - UniLaSalle - Productivity, Nutritional_quality
Dairy_cattle_farming Dairy_cattle_farming Crop-livestock_farming Crop-livestock_farming Redox RedOx Potential milk Forage animal welfare Brix Rate

Today's livestock dairy farming faces multiple challenges: optimizing production, ensuring milk quality, while respecting the environment and animal welfare. In this context, herd management is complex and requires innovative tools. That is why Ver de Terre Production, in collaboration with UniLaSalle, is exploring the application of the Redox method as a performance indicator in dairy cattle.

Our goal is to answer a central question: can the use of the Redox method, with a simplified protocol for the farmer, become a reference as a performance indicator (production, digestibility, health status) in dairy cattle herds?

This article presents this approach, its protocol tested in the field, and the first results observed by our team in the mentioned case.

Understanding the Redox method

The Redox potential (Eh), or oxidation-reduction potential, is the capacity of a medium to capture or donate electrons. This balance is a crucial indicator of the health of a system, whether it is soil, a plant, or an animal. In livestock farming, Redox management, as proposed by experts such as Pierre-Emmanuel Radigue (5MVET), is based on measuring oxidation-reduction variations in the biological fluids of animals (milk, dung, urine) to assess their general health status.

Although the method is widely used in plant production, it also applies to animal production. Notably, certain Redox imbalances can be observed during so-called “critical” periods, such as calving or dietary changes, which can lead to alterations in milk production, urine, and even feces[1][2].

The essential elements to evaluate Redox in a dairy farm are milk, feed, dung, urine, and if possible, rumen juices via an oro-ruminal probe (practice still supervised by a veterinarian) as well as blood.

By studying these indicators, we can apprehend the presence of oxidative and/or reductive stress through these different fluids. It is possible to evaluate good or poor digestion through a Redox study in dung (see Herd health & bio-electronics by Vincent) or a metabolic imbalance through urine analysis[2].


Advantages of this method

  • Early detection of health problems (in the case of blood or rumen juice analysis, not covered here), which can significantly improve the chances of successful treatment.
  • Monitoring the digestive health of animals, which can have a significant impact on the overall profitability of the farm (better valorization of ingested feed, better milk production).
  • Contribution to a more sustainable and profitable operation (better controlled extension of the number of lactations per animal, thus better long-term profitability and reduced CO₂ equivalent emissions per kilogram of milk produced).

From soil to animal: A holistic approach

Our research has highlighted the importance of the pH/Eh balance in the soil. A living soil, rich in microflora, promotes better nutrient assimilation by plants, resulting in higher quality forage. A well-nourished plant reduces oxidative stress and strengthens the immunity of animals that consume it. Thus, soil health is a central lever to optimize animal feed and herd welfare.

Unbalanced or oxidized forages can cause chronic oxidative stress in cattle, harming digestion, immunity, and milk production. The addition of natural antioxidants (vitamin E, selenium, omega-3, plant extracts) can also help strengthen the animals' immune defenses[3]. Monitoring the Redox potential of milk also allows early detection of pathologies such as subclinical mastitis.

Opportunities and limitations of the approach

Reliability and interpretation

The portable tools used are practical but less precise than laboratory equipment. Individual variability of cows (lactation stage, metabolism, health, genetics) also influences results. Samples taken just before milking could also be affected by stress or hormones, for a measurement of the general herd condition.

Relevance of the method

Redox seems able to reveal transient imbalances. However, establishing a direct link with classic production indicators (fat content, protein content) remains complex. Redox would rather be a complementary tool, reflecting oxidative stress or general metabolism, useful for preventive monitoring upstream of more serious problems.

Applicability for farmers

Implementing the protocol requires rigorous organization and time, especially during milking. Collecting dung and urine is more complex at pasture. Seasonal and dietary changes also influence results.

However, with good organization, the above protocol is entirely applicable and interpretable directly on the farm. It can also be used to monitor the highest-risk dairy cows or simply the highest producers on which you want additional simple monitoring, without costly investment.

Improvement prospects

The tested protocol shows that simple and low-cost metabolic monitoring is possible. For the future, we plan to:

  • Integrate all data (Redox, feed, production, health) into a digital dashboard for an overview.
  • Extend the experiment to other farms (organic, conventional, etc.) to apply the method in other types of setups.
  • Complement Redox with other data (rumination) for a global and reactive diagnosis of herd health.

Conclusion

After several months of analyses, our project confirms the scientific relevance of the Redox method in livestock farming. Although its implementation in the field may be complex at first, it offers an easy-to-use, non-intrusive tool complementary to traditional monitoring methods.

Fluid Indicator Optimal range Interpretation Out of range: possible causes
Milk RedOx 200–270 mV Good mammary metabolic activity, stable production <200 mV: oxidative stress / chronic inflammation >270 mV: oxidative stress, dietary imbalance, antioxidant deficiency (vit. E, selenium)
pH 6.6 – 6.8 Slightly acidic: normal for milk <6.5: metabolic acidosis / inflammation >6.9: alkalosis, digestive imbalance or too alkaline diet
Brix >10% Energetic milk, good nutritional supply (rich in lactose) <9%: ration too low in energy or metabolic stress
Urine RedOx +10 to -20 mV Stable oxidative state or slightly reductive >+50 mV: oxidative stress (unbalanced ration, inflammation) <-50 mV: reductive overload (rumen dysbiosis, slow fermentation)
pH 7.8 – 8.2 Good acid-base balance <7.5: metabolic acidosis, excess degradable proteins >8.5: alkalosis, nitrogen deficiency, energy deficiency
DS (specific gravity) 1015 – 1025 Good hydration, correct renal filtration, no metabolic overload <1010: dehydration, heat stress >1025: mineral overload, too concentrated or too rich diet
Dung RedOx ~-140 mV to -250 mV Good ruminal fermentation (reductive zone) >-100 mV: incomplete fermentation, fibers too long or poor ration

<-250 mV: excess fast sugars, digestive disorders

pH 6.7 – 7.2 Balanced digestion, good ruminal pH <6.5: ruminal acidosis (rare case), excess concentrates >7.5: slow digestion, too fibrous forage
Forages Brix >10–12% Forage rich in sugars, good available energy <9%: oxidized silage, poor fermentation, late harvest or soil imbalance

Figure 1: Interpretation table of data measured by devices


Cette page a été rédigée en partenariat avec UniLaSalle


Sources

  1. ↑ Hartman, 2021
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Husson et al., 2021
  3. ↑ Nunn & al 2022 https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11051012


La version initiale de cet article a été rédigée par Jean-Michel Feuillet Besnouin, Héloïse Danès et Emeline Carel.

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