_1746956855 20250511094735000 Rovedar Daryoushbabazadeh@gmail.com Rovedar Farm Animal Health and Nutrition Farm Anim. Health Nutr. 2980-7905 03 24 2025 4 1 Akbar Nikkhah https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7123-1728 Masoud Alimirzaei https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8320-5666 Increased cow loss and treatment costs, and reduced longevity and sustainability in the world dairy industry may provide an insight into rethinking the starch feeding in dairy cows. The objective of this mini-review article was to underline the importance of moderated starch nutrition on the sustainable productivity and health of high-producing dairy cows. Increased milk production per cow through both genetic selection and nutritional programs may have led to decreased longevity and higher culling rates in commercial dairy farms. Starch is the primary energy source for lactating dairy cows, supplied mainly by cereal grains such as barley and corn. Feeding higher rates of starch, especially from barley grain with high rumen degradability can lead to health issues such as subacute rumen acidosis, causing economic losses. Reviewing the literature and large dairy herd observations, moderated starch feeding to modern dairy cows without major negative effects on milk yield and cow health should become a new pragmatic wisdom. It is suggested that the short and long-term effects of feeding varying amounts of different starch grains in high-merit dairy cows should be the focus of future research attention.  03 24 2025 6 8 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 10.58803/fahn.v4i1.66 https://fahn.rovedar.com/index.php/FAHN/article/view/66 https://fahn.rovedar.com/index.php/FAHN/article/download/66/96 https://fahn.rovedar.com/index.php/FAHN/article/download/66/96 10.3168/jds.2022-22420 Nikkhah A. Controlled starch feeding to rescue the dairy industry. MAVS. 2016; 1(1): 1-2. Available at: https://scientiaricerca.com/srmavs/SRMAVS-01-00004.php Nikkhah A. Optimizing starch utilization: the postmodern art of dairy cow management. MAVS. 2017; 1(3): 1-2. Available at: https://scientiaricerca.com/srmavs/SRMAVS-01-00017.php 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(03)73598-X 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2006.11.021 National academics of science, engineering, and medicine (NASEM). 2021. Nutrient requirements of dairy cattle. 8th revised ed. National Academic Press. 10.3168/jds.2018-15307 10.3168/jds.2014-8341 10.3168/jds.2014-8820 10.3168/jds.2021-20539 10.3168/jds.2020-19611 Nikkhah A. Optimizing starch nutrition for rhythmic dairy cattle: The sustaining economic and environmental challenges of today’s industry. Iran J Applied Anim Sci. 2021; 11(2): 207-215. Available at: https://journals.iau.ir/article_682225_675c0b028da41a33b062ef159d13ca94.pdf 10.1186/2049-1891-3-22 10.3168/jds.2007-0809 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(01)74667-X 10.1071/AN17433