RED DEER – High-producing dairy cows are probably not getting enough to eat, says a livestock nutritionist.
Doug Yungblut of Pioneer Hi-Bred told a western dairy seminar in Red Deer March 13 that cows have nearly tripled their milk production ability in the last 50 years, yet their body sizes are relatively the same.
These cows have high-energy needs, especially during early lactation. Cows should freshen with a body condition score of 3.5 out of five and should not drop below 2.5.
Underweight cows may have difficulty getting pregnant. One way to improve their condition before calving is to provide more dietary fat.
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“Fat has a place in high producing dairy rations,” Yungblut said.
It provides 2.5 times more energy than starch, which means cows can get more energy without eating more feed.
Oilseed crops are a known source of dietary fat and have more benefits than feeding liquid fats such as tallow. Oilseed fat also has a more positive connotation for consumers who may question the use of animal fat.
As well, cattle do not like feed with a fatty taste and texture, and some liquid fats make the feed clumpy.
Yungblut’s company is also experimenting with feeding whole sunflower seeds to dairy cattle. They are smaller black seeds that carry high levels of fatty acid.
Studies have shown an increase of two kilograms of milk per day when sunflower seeds are added to the ration. Less than one kg of seeds per day per cow is adequate.
The seeds do not need to be roasted. They are palatable and have a positive effect on rumen function because the hulls provide fibre.
Sunflowers may also boost conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid essential to human nutrition.
Sunflowers have a higher level of fat than some oilseeds. They are lower in protein than soybeans, but have more fat and fibre.
Canola is a good source of fat, but the seeds are difficult to feed. The seed is too hard and indigestible to feed whole and once canola is processed, the high fat content makes storage a problem.
