Animal husbandry is a highly competitive industry. The low profit margin in this industry makes every factor that affects the increase in feed efficiency to be reviewed. There is a clear connection between nutrition, health and productivity of livestock. However, nutritional balance is not easy. In addition, feeding too little or too much nutrients will endanger the health of the animal.
It is a big challenge to put into action the outstanding inherent traits and economic values of livestock in the profession of dairy cattle breeding. The management of dairy cattle breeding has wide and multifaceted dimensions. The income level of a cattle breeding unit depends on the amount of production and its costs, of which the cost of feed accounts for the largest share of costs with about 60-65%.Therefore, the more cows with higher production capacity are kept, the more favorable the field of their genetic abilities will be, the cost of their feed will be reduced and this profession will be more profitable.
What is fat powder?
Most of the fats in nature are in the form of triglycerides. In triglyceride, 3 fatty acids are attached to glycerol. Therefore, most fats are composed of fatty acids, fatty acids are chains of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen atoms (O). Different fatty acids have different chain lengths.All fats are composed of fatty acids, which primarily determine the properties of fat, such as nutritional value, being solid and liquid at room temperature.
Fat supplements are one of the vital components of livestock and poultry diets. These supplements are used in the form of semolina, hydrogenated oil and fat powder. Fat powders, which are calcium salts of fatty acids, are produced in a chemical process using stirred reactors at high temperature and pressure. All kinds of vegetable and animal fats can be used to produce fat powder.Fats are made up of fatty acids that may be saturated or unsaturated. A double bond gives a fatty acid its unsaturated character.
The benefits of using fats in animal nutrition
Fats have about two and a half times as much energy as carbohydrates and protein sources. Fat is an important nutrient that supports a variety of biological functions. Animals cannot survive without it. However, some fat supplements offer a number of additional benefits, which can increase productivity in the herd:
- Providing enough energy to increase milk production and body condition score (BCS):
- Adding fat helps to increase the energy density in the animal’s diet. This energy density is very important for animals, especially for lactating cows in the early stages of lactation. Because in the first months of lactation, the animals are weakened due to little feeding. In the early stages of lactation, the lactating cow cannot receive enough energy in each meal, and as a result, a negative energy balance occurs.Adding fat helps to increase the energy density in the animal’s diet. This energy density is very important for animals, especially for lactating cows in the early stages of lactation. Because in the first months of lactation, the animals are weakened due to little feeding. In the early stages of lactation, the lactating cow cannot receive enough energy in each meal, and as a result, a negative energy balance occurs.
As a result, the main way to compensate for the negative energy balance is to increase the energy density of the ration in each meal.
- Reduce heat stress
- Some animals suffer from heat stress and also produce a lot of heat when digesting high fiber and starch. In this case, consumption of grain feeds (cereals) in order to increase energy causes acidosis and decrease the amount of food consumption, which reduces the growth rate. Using the right fat powder at the right time can bring the most benefits to dairy cows in heat stress conditions.
- Improve reproductive performance
- Another important benefit of animal fat powder is to improve reproductive performance. As an important source of energy and essential fatty acids, fats play a key role in regulating hormones and reproductive processes. Research has shown that feeding livestock with fat powder can help improve fertility rates, increase the number of fertile eggs and improve sperm quality.
- Increasing the quality of milk and meat
- The use of animal fat powder directly affects the quality of milk and meat produced. Adding fat powder to the diet of livestock can increase the percentage of milk fat and protein, which improves the quality and nutritional value of milk. Also, consumption of fat powder by livestock can help improve meat quality in terms of taste, texture and internal fat percentage. This leads to the production of products with higher nutritional value and more attractiveness for consumers.
- Improving physical condition and preventing metabolic diseases
- Animal fat powder not only helps to provide energy and essential nutrients, but also helps to improve the body condition and general health of animals. The essential fatty acids in fat powder help to strengthen the immune system of animals, reduce inflammation and improve digestive function.
- Increasing productivity and reducing costs
- Considering the positive effects of animal fat powder on the performance and health of animals, the use of this supplement can help increase productivity and reduce production costs. By improving the nutritional status of livestock and increasing livestock production, the profitability and economic sustainability of animal husbandry increases. Also, reducing the need for other food sources and optimizing energy consumption leads to a reduction in overall nutritional costs.
What is the limit of using fat powder?
As with any other animal feed diet, balance is the key to success. With most animal feeds, fats are released in the rumen and can cause softening with oil that coats the fiber in the rumen and prevents rumen bacteria from breaking it down.Dairy cows may need more than 6% fat in dry matter to maintain body condition and productivity.
The solution to this problem is to include protected rumen fats in your animal feed.
The protected rumen fat powder supplements of Roshd Dan Khavaran Company allow you to safely increase the fat consumption of your herd without the malnutrition effects of excessive rumen fat.
Important considerations when using fat powder in the diet of dairy cows
- In order to use fat powder in the ration of dairy cows, the habituation period of the animal should be considered.
- When fat powder is added to the diet, the percentage of calcium and magnesium in the total diet should be increased (0.9 to 1% calcium and 0.3% magnesium, on a dry matter basis). Some researches have suggested that increasing the amount of fat in the diet increases the need for calcium as a fat saponifying agent. Using non-standard or unprotected fat powder increases the saponification of calcium and magnesium in the rumen and their excretion through feces.
- For every 3% increase in fat in the diet, 1% should be added to the amount of protein passing through the rumen. In other words, for every 1 megacal of net lactation energy from added fat, 72 grams of non-degradable protein should be considered in the rumen.
- The use of niacin supplementation, which may have started during the dry season, should be continued for high-producing dairy cows. In this case, food consumption will probably be more and the probability of ketosis will be less.
