By Andi Anderson
Early lactation cows face high energy demands and often enter negative energy balance due to increased milk production and reduced feed intake. To support their nutritional needs, farmers can supplement fatty acids (FA) or whole cotton seed (WCS) in their diet.
Fatty Acids in Low and High Starch Diets
A study tested four diet variations to examine the impact of starch and fatty acid supplementation:
- Low starch (LS): 22% starch in diet dry matter (DM).
- Low starch with FA (LSFA): 22% starch with 2% FA (70% palmitic acid and 20% oleic acid).
- High starch (HS): 28% starch in diet DM.
- High starch with FA (HSFA): 28% starch with 2% FA supplement.
Results showed that adding FA to low starch diets increased milk fat and 3.5% fat-corrected milk yield. However, high starch diets with FA did not show improvement, possibly due to reduced nutrient absorption.
Whole Cotton Seed and Fatty Acid Supplementation
Another study compared the effects of WCS and FA supplementation:
- Control (CON): No WCS or FA.
- Whole cotton seed (WCS): 10% of diet DM as WCS.
- Fatty acids (FA): 1.5% FA (60% PA, 30% OA).
- WCS with FA (WCSFA): 10% WCS and 1.5% FA.
Adding WCS or FA separately increased milk fat and yield, but feeding both together did not improve results further. This suggests that excess dietary FA may reduce digestibility.
For early-lactation cows, supplementing either WCS or FA is an effective strategy to boost milk production. However, careful diet balancing is essential for maximizing nutrient absorption and cow health.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-vm
Categories: Michigan, Sustainable Agriculture