Effects of a nutrient-balanced supplement on milk physicochemical composition in low-input dairy systems in South-Western Uganda

Milk produced in Uganda’s South-Western Cattle Corridor (SWCC) is often of low quality due to poor natural pastures. Feed supplementation is uncommon, limiting opportunities to improve milk quality and dairy productivity. This study evaluated the effect of supplementing natural pasture with a nutrient –balanced feed, on milk physicochemical properties of dairy cows in this region with an aim of improving milk physicochemical quality, which would lead to higher milk prices and subsequent improvement in livelihood of dairy farmers in the region. It also provides new regional data on milk physicochemical composition and responses to feed supplementation in smallholder systems with poor pasture quality, which have not been sufficiently documented before. Sixty dairy cows were randomly assigned to three groups (control, 2 kg LFDM, 4 kg LFDM) in a randomised complete block design. Cows were fed for 30 days, and milk samples were collected at baseline and endline. Baseline milk parameters were analysed to ensure homogeneity across groups. Baseline milk composition did not differ between groups (p > 0.05). After supplementation, significant increases in solids-not-fat (SNF) and protein content were observed in the LFDM groups. SNF increased by +1.37% in the 2 kg group and +1.66% in the 4 kg group, compared to −0.50% in the control (p = 0.005). Protein content increased by +0.37% and +0.67% in the 2 kg and 4 kg groups versus +0.11% in the control (p = 0.022). Tukey’s HSD post hoc analysis confirmed these differences. Other milk parameters showed no significant changes. LFDM supplementation effectively enhanced SNF, and protein content, demonstrating its potential to improve milk quality and support dairy productivity in regions reliant on natural pastures.