Rumen-Protected Methionine and Lysine:
Saving Feed Costs, Optimizing Metabolizable Protein
Current high feed costs and low milk prices are phenomena that impact dairy producers at all levels of production and technological sophistication all over the world. To thrive, producers must continue to increase milk production efficiency — both for their immediate economic advantage and for a sustainable future.
Producers need to save feed costs, yet they must avoid putting metabolizable protein quantity or quality at risk, which would jeopardize production efficiency and many other factors. A less efficient dairy cow has lower IOFC (income-over-feed-cost) as well as long-term challenges, including reduced reproductive performance. Because she is less efficient, she also has relatively greater environmental impact compared to more efficient cows.
Precision nutrition
Today, modern nutrient analysis and diet formulation enable more precise control of the supply and balance of amino acids to support production of metabolizable protein in the cow.
The key limiting amino acids are methionine and lysine, which are available in the form of microencapsulated rumen-protected products for ration supplementation. These products help increase the accuracy of formulation, optimize nitrogen metabolism, increase milk protein concentration, and save feed costs.
Some dairy producers still have the impression that precision nutrition and rumen-protected amino acids can only benefit larger, “technologically advanced” farms. However, the economic damage of low production and the environmental impact per cow are less sustainable for smaller farms than for bigger ones. Of course, advanced dairy production technology — computerized feed management, robotic milking, and other automated operations — offers many advantages. Yet, those benefits come with much greater fixed costs.
Rumen-protected amino acids support good economic results and environmental sustainability for all levels of dairy production. After all, the physiology of a dairy cow in a small barn is the same as in a large one. So, why be less efficient?
Over the last 40 years, Vetagro has developed and applied microencapsulated and rumen-protected nutrients for dairy animals all over the world. Our experience ranges from large farms in the U.S. and China to small farms in the Alps, and from pasture-based farms in New Zealand and Chile to TMR-only operations in the Saudi Arabian desert.
There is no situation in which the use of rumen-protected nutrients, including Timet® and Relys®, combined with accurate herd management, has not been able to increase the productive or reproductive efficiency of a dairy business.
An inefficient dairy herd is not only costly to your bottom line, but also for the planet!
For more information, including details on dairy technical training, email Daniel Cooke with subject “DRIVE PROGRAM”.