Effect on cow performance and milk fat composition of including full fat soyabeans and rapeseeds in the concentrate mixture for lactating dairy cows

Abstract

SummaryTwo experiments were carried out to determine the effect on milk yield, milk composition and composition and physical properties of milk fat of giving full fat soyabeans (FFS) and full fat rapeseeds (FFR) to dairy cows. In both experiments grass silage was provided ad lib. and constituted over 50% of the dry matter (DM) intake of the cows. In experiment 1, cows received 7·25 kg/d of a concentrate mixture containing 240 g/kg of extruded FFS or 7·25 kg/d of a mixture without soyabeans. Cow performance was not significantly affected by the inclusion of FFS but fatty acid composition of the milk fat was greatly altered. The contents of C8:0 to C16:0 were significantly reduced (P < 0·001) while the contents of C18:0, C18:l and C18:2 were significantly increased (P < 0·001). Milk fat produced during feeding on FFS concentrate had a significantly lower content of solid fat at temperatures between 0 and 25 °C compared with milk fat produced when FFS was not given. In experiment 2, cows received concentrate mixtures containing either no whole rapeseed, 150 g/kg of whole unground FFR or 150 g/kg of ground FFR. Milk yield was significantly higher and silage DM intake significantly lower with the ground FFR concentrate compared with the other two diets but milk composition was not significantly different among treatments. FFR inclusion, either ground or unground, reduced diet digestibility. Changes in fatty acid composition of the milk fat were similar to those observed with FFS inclusion but the effect was larger with ground FFR compared with unground FFR. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed a lower solid fat content when the FFR diets were employed with the effect being greatest with ground FFR.

Review: Feed intake, milk production and milk composition of dairy cows fed flaxseed

“…Similarly, feeding rolled compared with whole flaxseed at 10% of the dry matter increased total tract digestibility of ether extract with no effect on total tract digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fibre of the diet (Oba et al 2009). Reduced fibre digestibility is associated with processes such as grinding (Scott et al 1991) and is consistent with the increased release of oil from the seed into the rumen (Murphy et al 1990), which contributes to increase digestibility of fat (da Silva et al 2007). Gonthier et al (2004) reported an enhanced dry matter and neutral detergent fibre digestibility with ground flaxseed added at 12.6% of the dry matter, which they explained by a higher digestibility of the flaxseed fibre constituents compared with those of the basal diet.…”

Performance and meat quality of fattening bulls fed complete feed with rapeseed oil cake or linseed

“…However, it cannot be excluded that the higher oleic acid (C 18:1) content in the tissues of ruminants fed linseed or rapeseed oil cake was partly a consequence of limited biohydrogenation of this acid in the rumen. Such limitation could be due to increased intake of this acid, particularly with rape seed oil, which contains a high proportion of this acid (about 51.2%), as well as the physical form of these feeds (Murphy et al, 1990;Chang et al, 1992;Rule et al, 1994). Limited biohydrogenation of oleic acid (C 18:1) in the rumen of animals fed linseed also suggests a lower concentration of stearic acid (C 18:0) in the studied vegetable oils than in the diets for the remaining groups.…”

“…The importance of polyunsaturated acids in the diet for humans has led to the production of animal food products containing higher levels of these acids, as described in a review by Givens et al (2000). The influence of vegetable oil fed to ruminants on metabolic processes in the rumen, nutrient digestibility, performance of cattle and proportion of fatty acids in the lipids of the carcass may be modified by diet composition, type and physical form of fat that can be included into the rations as oils, whole seeds, meals, cakes or fatty acid calcium salts (Huhtanen and Poutiainen, 1985;Jigl et al, 1988;Murphy et al, 1990;Strzetelski et al, 1992;Kowalski, 1997).…”

Effect of milk thistle (<i>Sylibum marianum</i> L.) endosperm in the diet for cows on milk yield and fatty acid profiles

“…Slightly higher milk yield was observed in cows fed the MT diet (EMT with calcium carbonate). Murphy et al (1990) reported a significant increase in cow performance as a result of including 15% ground rape seeds into the concentrate and no significant effect of whole rape seeds. Strzetelski et al (1999) reported a tendency to supplement cows' diets with evening primrose seeds (Oenothera paradoxa) to increase milk production and fat content.…”