Canola meal makes ration balancing simple. The superior amino acid profile, along with a high percentage of rumen bypass protein has repeatedly been shown to support milk production with lower amounts of protein, resulting in lower levels of milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and less waste.
Canola meal is a well-researched feed ingredient for dairy cows that consistently provides value for producers, as shown in recent academic studies. Field trials conducted in Wisconsin have shown that canola meal can be an alternative for animal proteins and can also be used to replace the high bypass protein soybean meal products that are often needed in rations balanced for amino acids.
The following are some ways canola meal provides value to dairy producers:
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When picking protein sources for dairy rations, the stress has historically been on the crude-protein levels of protein sources. More protein is always better, right? Not necessarily. Cows need the right protein, in the right place. When these requirements are met, the cow uses protein in the most efficient way possible, meaning less protein ends up in the manure pile. Fortunately, canola meal provides the right protein, in the right place, at the right time.
Canola meal has more rumen undegraded protein, or bypass protein, than many other frequently used protein sources. When protein enters a cow’s rumen, rumen microbes break down, or degrade, a fraction of the available protein. The remaining protein bypasses the cow’s rumen and becomes available to satisfy the cow’s amino acid requirements. This means that while it may not always beat other protein sources in crude protein levels, a high portion of canola meal’s protein makes it through the cow’s rumen, putting the protein right where the cow needs it to produce milk. See how canola meal stacks up against soybean meal when it comes to bypass protein in the table below. Feeding canola meal means better feeding efficiency and higher milk production for dairy operations.
Pound for pound, canola meal provides as much digestible RUP as soybean meal, even with its lower crude protein levels. The RUP in canola meal provides more available methionine and histidine than soybean meal, and about 90% as much available lysine, as shown in the table below. Although high protein distiller’s grains supplies more digestible RUP than either soybean meal or canola meal, it fails to supply the amino acids most critical for milk production, and much more would be needed in the diet to supply the amino acids.
BYPASS PROTEIN MATCH-UP | |||
Protein | Soybean meal-44% | Hi-Pro Distillers’ | Canola meal |
Crude protein, % of dry matter | 49.2 | 40.0 | 42.0 |
% of protein bypassing (RUP)1 | 41.5 | 63.6 | 52.5 |
RUP, % of dry matter | 20.4 | 25.4 | 22.0 |
Digestibility of the RUP, %2 | 75.6 | 68.8 | 71.3 |
Digestible RUP, % of meal dry matter | 15.4 | 17.5 | 15.7 |
Amino Acids | |||
Digestible methionine, g/lb | 1.1 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
Digestible lysine, g/lb | 4.7 | 2.5 | 4.3 |
Digestible histidine, g/lb | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
1 Maxin, G., Ouellet, D.R. and Lapierre, H., 2013.
2 Ross, D.A., Gutierrez-Botero, M. and Van Amburgh, M.E. 2013.
Another way canola meal provides value is through its amino acid profile. A high level of bypass protein combined with canola meal’s unique amino acid profile not only helps cows optimize milk production, but also supports the production of high-quality milk.
Canola meal’s amino acid profile helps explain the consistent milk yield response when canola meal is included in rations. In a summary of 24 research trials with canola meal included in dairy diets, the average milk production response was an additional 2.2 pounds of milk per day, per cow. With results like that, canola meal is a must-try for all dairy producers looking to increase profits and efficiencies in their operation. Canola’s amino acid pattern matches that of milk more closely than other vegetable protein sources (Table below) and therefore is utilized more efficiently.
Ingredient and rumen microbe amino acid composition as compared milk essential amino acid (EAA) composition (The first limiting amino acid is highlighted for each source)
INGREDIENT AND RUMEN MICROBE AMINO ACID COMPOSITION AS COMPARED MILK ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID (EAA) COMPOSITION (THE FIRST LIMITING AMINO ACID IS HIGHLIGHTED FOR EACH SOURCE) | |||||||
Milk1 EAA | Rumen2 Microbes | Corn DDGS |
Soybean Meal | Corn Gluten | Cottonseed Meal | Canola Meal | |
% of Amount in Milk | |||||||
Methionine | 2.50 | 88 | 79 | 53 | 95 | 56 | 84 |
Lysine | 8.00 | 101 | 35 | 76 | 21 | 50 | 68 |
Arginine | 3.38 | 140 | 127 | 216 | 93 | 342 | 191 |
Threonine | 4.31 | 124 | 86 | 90 | 77 | 71 | 97 |
Leucine | 9.65 | 82 | 121 | 78 | 169 | 57 | 63 |
Isoleucine | 5.12 | 112 | 71 | 89 | 78 | 59 | 66 |
Histidine | 2.73 | 69 | 97 | 96 | 74 | 100 | 132 |
Phenylalanine | 4.94 | 108 | 99 | 102 | 125 | 107 | 81 |
Tryprophan | 0.90 | 131 | 89 | 148 | 60 | 136 | 143 |
Valine | 5.60 | 102 | 87 | 84 | 81 | 75 | 91 |
1 Lee, C., Giallongo, F., Hristov, A.N., Lapierre, H., Cassidy, T.W., Heyler, K.S., Varga, G.A. and Parys, C., 2015.
2 Sok, M., Ouellet, D.R., Firkins, J.L., Pellerin, D.and Lapierre, H., 2017.
Another way we can look at this is through canola meal’s milk protein score. Feed ingredients are sometimes given milk protein scores as another way to measure their value. The milk protein score takes the amino acid profile of protein sources and compares it to the amino acid composition of milk itself. Canola meal has the highest milk protein score among vegetable-based protein sources, including soybean meal. A high milk protein score equals high-quality milk.
1 Schingoethe, D. J. 1996.
Canola meal’s bypass protein levels and great milk protein score combine to support high levels of components in milk. Milk components, or the fat and protein portions of milk, are important because they are indicative of high-quality milk, and could mean more milk check premiums for dairy producers.
As the table below illustrates, daily protein and fat yields increased when canola meal replaced either soybean meal or cottonseed meal in diets for high-producing dairy cows.
Another study also illustrated canola meal’s value when it comes to milk components, as compared to soybean meal:
These results are consistent with newer research that now recognizes that the soluble fraction of protein meals is not all degraded in the rumen, and some of the soluble protein from both soybean meal and canola meal will bypass the rumen. For more information, you can check out recent research abstracts and visit the Dairy Blog.
Want more information on canola meal and dairy cows? Refer to our Dairy Feed Guide and check out some of the dairy-specific resources below:
February 1, 2020 Industry Voice
July 24, 2020 By Treena Hein
November 2, 2019 Les Berghorn and Essi Evans
May 29, 2019 by Aerin Einstein-Curtis
November 20, 2018
October 17, 2018
September 2018 by Essi Evans
July 5, 2018 No Particular Author
2018 Timothy Mutsvangwa
December, 2017
June 5, 2017 Glen Broderick, Essi Evans and Brittany Dyck
March 23, 2017 By Barb Glen
February, 2016 Glen Broderick
Sept 11, 2015 Brittany Dyck, Carson Callum and Essi Evans
May 2015 Brittany Dyck and Essi Evans
January 5, 2015 Industry Voice
August 2014 Essi Evans
October 31, 2013 Essi Evans
Brittany Dyck and Essi Evans
Feeding Value of Canola Meal in Dairy Rations Evaluated
“New Dairy Trials Show Value of Canola Meal