“Supplementing cows in the fresh period and then throughout


the peak period (days 25-67 in milk), had no effect on dry matter intake but increased milk yield by 5.1 kg per day and milk fat content by 0.2%. This led to a significant increase in milk fat yield from 1.76 kg to 2.07 kg per day in control and fat-supplemented treatments, respectively. Crucially, this was achieved without increased loss of body weight or condition score.”


Managing the C16:0 to C18:1 ratio through lactation Data from this new study supports the concept that fatty acid profile through early lactation is crucial to ensuring production responses resulting from supplementation with fat do not push the cow into further negative energy balance. These findings highlight the opportunity to manage the C16:0 to


C18:1 ratio through lactation, says John Newbold, Professor of Dairy Nutrition at Scotland’s Rural College. “It is clear that when considering fat supplements for dairy cows,


lower C16:0, with higher C18:1, supplements are most appropriate through early lactation to help partition nutrients toward body reserves and prevent excessive body condition loss. Furthermore, providing more C18:1 to the ovary is beneficial for development of embryos and the improved digestibility provides an additional boost in megajoules,” explains Professor Newbold. Calcium salts remain the only effective method of supplying


C18:1 to the small intestine without disrupting rumen fibre digestion and reducing milk fat production, with the data from Michigan State indicating that a 60:30 ratio of C16:0 to C18:1 in calcium salt form is especially beneficial. Moving into mid-lactation, target body condition score should


be met so a higher C16:0 supplement can be considered to fuel milk and milk fat production, says Professor Newbold. For some farms, the supplementation of a high-C16:0 supplement at 80-90% C16:0, may be beneficial in late lactation to prevent cows from gaining excess body condition ahead of calving.


Sourcing the right fat supplement When it comes to fat supplements, Dr Kirkland stresses the importance of rumen-protection. Rumen-protected fatty acids, such as calcium salt supplements, allow fat to be increased in the diet without negative effects on fibre digestion as is the case with liquid oils or high-fat ingredients such as brewer’s grains. “Rumen-protection is also essential to deliver the unsaturated


fatty acids, such as C18:1, to the small intestine for digestion and utilisation by the cow,” “Working in tandem with sufficient dietary fat supply and most-


appropriate fatty acid profiles, rumen-protected fat supplements offer producers the ability to meet specific nutritional requirements at varying stages of lactation to optimise herd performance.” concludes Dr Kirkland.


FEEDS FROM ANIMAL SOURCES By Robin Crawshaw


Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the mad cow disease that raged across the UK and mainland Europe, reached a peak during the 1990s. It was a terrible and hugely expensive blow to the livestock and meat processing industries, and to the economies of affected countries. Happily, this epidemic was beaten and the livestock industry moved on, though some of the safety measures that were put in place are still with us today, and so are the economic consequences. Almost all EU Member States have a negligible BSE risk, as do most countries around the world and thus it does seem time for legislative changes that reflect the new reality.


Feeds from land animals While 68% of a broiler chicken is marketed for human consumption, the equivalent proportion of a sheep is only 52%. Thus, after man has had his fill, the substantial fractions that remain require a reliable outlet in order to avoid a build-up of co-products at the slaughterhouse, and to ensure the profitability of the meat processing enterprise. For many years the animal feed industry filled that need, and it continues to do so in other countries outside Europe. It was a good match: the protein in feeds from land animals was mainly of high quality, their mineral fractions were bio-available, and these feeds contained no indigestible fibre. In contrast to many vegetable sources, land animal


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co-products contained no anti-nutritional factors that had to be removed or inactivated before the material could be used as feed. When the BSE crisis first appeared, there was no obvious cause


and no cure until the epidemiologists concluded that the most likely cause was the recycling of infected tissues from diseased cattle. Inevitably, this conclusion led to various feed bans and eventually to the exclusion of almost all land animal proteins from the diets of animals that would become part of the human food chain. This ban largely remains in force today, long beyond the point at which the original problem was brought under control, and in spite of the stringent controls that have been put in place by the meat processing industry - working in conjunction with EU legislators and their veterinary authorities. The land animal co-products that could now be made available for use as feed would all come from healthy animals whose meat was fit for human consumption, and they would have been processed by an approved method in authorized premises. Any material that does not satisfy these stringent conditions will have to be used for other purposes, with fertilizer and the biodiesel industries being major outlets.


Fishmeal and Fish Oils For many years high quality diets for cattle, pigs and poultry would contain fishmeal. It was a rich source of high quality protein and digestible forms


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