Feed supplement primes the liver and plugs the energy gap in high performance dairy cows


By Dr Philip Ingram, Cargill Ruminant Technology Specialist


Meeting high yielding dairy cows’ changing nutritional requirements is a constant challenge. The main focus is often on the rumen and the mantra ‘feed the rumen – not the cow’ has gone a long way to improving dairy cow diets. But many herds are failing to perform, even on the most carefully


formulated rations. And we’re often finding that this is because liver function is sub-optimal. As advisers and nutritionists, we need to think more about the vital role played by the liver in supplying energy to the cow.


Engine room The process of extracting energy from feed starts in the rumen, but key to its success is the cow’s liver. This organ, which turns the volatile fatty acid (VFA) propionate produced in the rumen into glucose (energy) and makes it available to the cow, is the ‘engine room’. It has to be working efficiently – or be primed – to allow the cow to perform, in terms of milk yield, health and fertility, to her full potential. The liver has many functions, including energy management and


detoxification of the blood. Around 85% of ruminal propionate is built into glucose by the liver, and fat mobilised from ‘body reserves’ must be processed there before it can be used for energy. So the liver should, indeed, be viewed as the cow’s energy-control centre. And cows do require a huge amount of energy, for body maintenance


and for producing large volumes of milk, particularly in peak lactation. Average daily yields of 45kg are not unusual. During transition and early lactation, cows will use body condition to


support milk yield. This can reduce the liver’s ability to manage energy. This is a major cause of reduced performance, and production diseases, in early lactation. Propionate produced in the rumen is key when it comes to energy –


or glucose – to support maintenance, milk production and fertility. Around 85% of the propionate is transformed into glucose by the liver; so good liver function is vital. If it’s sub-optimal, the potential energy available from the feed consumed by the cow – and converted into propionate by the rumen – will be limited. Ensuring good liver function allows the cow to maximise the production of the energy she needs from her ration. There are several ways that producers and nutritionists can ensure


good energy production in the cow, and limit mobilising her body fat reserves. Good rumen function and feeding a balanced ration, which


provides the correct ratios of protein and energy, as well as a stable rumen pH, are all important, along with good feed consistency,


PAGE 38 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 FEED COMPOUNDER


presentation and management protocols. But even when focusing on and removing these potential pitfalls,


poor liver health can still be a barrier to feed efficiency. Cows need good liver health in order to manufacture glucose efficiently. The liver can be a major bottleneck if it isn’t operating efficiently and this can cause knock- on production and health issues. Management, such as maintaining a steady and optimal body


condition score throughout the cow’s production cycle and ensuring good feed intakes during the close-up dry period, can help here. And there are also feed supplements that can also help to ‘prime’ the liver. And this is where Cargill’s feed supplement Turbopro®


– a blend


of rumen protected B-vitamins and palatability enhancers – has a key role to play. More than a decade ago, the company developed the feed product


LiFT – an acronym for liver function technology – to support dairy cows through the transition phase. Turbopro is the next step. It’s a supplement that supports liver function in early and mid-lactation. The product is very much about fuelling milk production, or making more energy available to the cow. LiFT and Turbopro both help prime the liver. But there is a subtle


difference. In the transition period the biggest challenge to the liver is dealing with fat mobilisation, and in the lactation period the challenge shifts to building glucose. LiFT primarily focuses on fat metabolism while also taking care


of glucose manufacture, and Turbopro primarily focuses on glucose metabolism while also taking care of fat mobilisation. Turbopro’s main function is supporting glucose production in the


liver from the rumen-produced fatty acid propionate, making more energy available for milk production. It boosts cows’ energy supply and improves liver function efficiency that, in turn, improves early and mid-lactation milk production. Cargill trials, involving more than 1,000 dairy cows, show


improvements in milk production of up to 1.8kg per day in early lactation, and by 1.2kg per day in mid-lactation, where Turbopro was added to diets of cows from early lactation. UK-based work has shown that the supplement offers a return on


investment of 5:1, based on a milk price of 25ppl, or 6:1 based on a milk price of 30ppl. Turbopro is also particularly valuable where high lactic acid silages


– such as those seen in the UK - are being fed. Lactic acid from silage is converted to propionate in the rumen and this, in turn, is converted to glucose in the liver. More acidic, wetter


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