UFAC-UK has launched a new generation of sustainable feed alternatives to complement palm-free dairy feed supplementation.
The new partial soybean meal replacement for dairy diets aims to improve yields, solids and feed conversion efficiency, while reducing reliance on imported soya by at least a third.
The animal nutrition company said cholymet is set to “transform dairy cow diets in the UK”.
UFAC-UK national sales manager David Turnball said:
“The role of protein nutrition in dairy animals in the UK is increasingly coming into focus in terms of feed efficiency and environmental impact, particularly with pressure to reduce nitrous oxide emissions and to cut carbon footprints on imported soya.
“We have been looking at how lowering the level of dietary protein, through amino acid balancing and precision feeding, can improve dairy cow performance, while also helping to protect the environment.”
Through in-house innovation, research and development, UFAC-UK has produced a combination of essential amino acids and choline, with the aim of improving milk production efficiency, protecting the environment and increasing profitability to the producer.
“Protein supplies the essential amino acids to the cow for health, growth, reproduction and milk production while choline interacts with methionine in various metabolic functions that influence cow health and productivity,” Turnball said.
Farm studies
UFAC-UK has undertaken commercial farm studies, with the aim of reducing the amount of soybean meal fed, while improving cow health, performance and profitability.
The first commercial farm study was designed in a controlled environment on a commercial herd of 190 high-yielding cows in the UK.
In the study, 33% of the soybean meal in the total mixed ration (TMR) was replaced with the cholymet protein supplement and prairie meal, to maintain the ME content. This reduced the total crude protein content of the feed by 1%.
The study, conducted on cows fed the supplement from 21 days pre-calving to 50 days post calving, with results taken from cows 7 – 100 days in milk, had the dual objectives of reducing the use of soya without impacting cow health, performance and profitability, while reducing ammonia emissions from the herd.
UFAC-UK ruminant technical manager Nike Chown said: “The cows fed the reduced soybean meal diet with cholymet yielded an extra 3.37kg/milk/day, with an additional 0.17% butterfat and 0.14% protein.
“Cows showed an increase in feed utilisation when fed on cholymet, with increased milk yield and total milk solids, despite no difference in dry matter intake.”
The protein captured by the cows fed on cholymet (31%) was an improvement of 8% on the UK national average.
“The potential financial benefit to UK dairy producers of partly replacing soybean meal with cholymet plus prairie meal, based on extra milk yield at £0.37/l, is £1.25/cow per day. That represents a 3.78:1 return on investment,” Chown said.
