The Ins And Outs Of Ruminant Protein
Providing ruminants with the right nutrition is especially crucial during lactation. More often than not, insufficient energy intake leads to metabolic disorders, besides reduced reproductive performance. Ultimately, a negative energy balance causes reduced milk yields and fat percentages.
So, how does ruminant protein work? Rumen bypass protein, in particular, is plant-based protein results that is not degraded in the animal’s rumen. Consequently, it quickly passes into the lower gastrointestinal tract and provides essential nutrients to the animal.
Rumen bypass fat is an excellent supplemental fat, providing additional energy and nutrients essential for increased milk volume and butterfat capacity. The product is easily mixed with other ingredients in diet. Also, ruminant protein can be included as part of a total mixed ration blend or compound feed. It has been widely adopted in Malaysia and beyond, to counter negative energy balance in dairy cattle.
Enhanced fertility
As a dairy farmer, one of the primary objectives is to have a highly fertile herd. Ruminant protein is a concentrated source of energy and hence targeted to promote energy balance and minimize body condition loss of dairy cattle to boost the likelihood of successful pregnancy. Also, ruminant protein products have been proven to increase the production of essential hormones for animal pregnancy, hence contributing to enhanced fertility.
More milk
Animal nutrition is a significant factor when it comes to the level of milk production. Supplemental factors are proven to increase milk yield by several litres daily per cow, hence substantial economic benefits for dairy farmers. There is a huge demand for ruminant protein that provides superior feed efficiency.
The need for rumen bypass fat
Not all fats are suitable for consumption by ruminants. We highly recommend against unsaturated since they are prone to biohydrogenation as a result of microbes in the rumen. Unsaturated fats have adverse effects including creation of milk production inhibitors, acidosis and heat stress.
Rumen bypass fat is the go-to fat supplement for dairy farmers looking to overcome negative energy balance. When included into dairy rations, rumen bypass fats for ruminants are unaffected in the rumen. Consequently, the supplement fat is delivered intact to the small intestine where they are absorbed by the cow as ruminant protein.
It’s worth noting that bypass fat is easily transformed into essential fatty acid. Ultimately, it acts as an excellent ruminant protein, providing more milk yields and fat percentage. Rumen bypass fat is rich in saturated fatty acids that go through the rumen without any adverse effects.
When to feed ruminant protein?
Ruminant proteins are particularly targeted to early lactation rations. At this point, ruminants have increased nutritional needs that are critical to their performance. After calving, ruminant protein helps match the energy intake to the increased milk yield. The products boost energy density in rations to provide additional energy in spite of lower intakes.
Also, ruminant protein helps improve body condition after illness. It’s a highly recommended ingredient for dairy farmers looking to formulate more balanced rations to minimize risk of various digestive disorders.
Storage of ruminant protein
Ruminant protein should be properly stored in cool, dry conditions to ensure best condition when feeding your herd. Proper storage promotes product safety and performance.
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