Evaluation of Canola Meal as Compared to Soybean Meal in Practical California Rations: Effects upon Long Term Lactational Performance, Reproductive Performance, and Metabolic Disease

Priorities
Animal Health Benefits of Canola Products  Canola Meal 
Start Date
2018
End Date
2023
Principal Investigator
Peter H. Robinson - University of California (Davis)
Co-Investigators
William Van Die - Cloverdale Dairy, Nadia Swanepoel - University of California (Davis)
MCGA Funding
$4,680.00
Total Project Funding
$206,430.00
External Funding Partners
Canadian Agricultural Partnership, Canola Council of Canada, SaskCanola, Alberta Canola
Report
Project Ongoing...

Research Objective

  • To substitute soybean meal (SBM) for the normal 13% canola meal (CM) in the diet of lactating dairy cows for 150 days and notice any differences
  • To substitute soybean meal for canola meal in lactating cows and notice any difference in their reproductive performance through their 2nd insemination
  • To measure the effects of substituting SBM for CM in the diet of lactating dairy cows who have clinical diseases for 150 days of milk.

Project Description

In California, canola meal (CM) is currently the industry's protein source standard for lactating dairy cow feed because soybean meal (SBM) was not economically an option. SBM is now more available for use, so this study would like to determine if switching the canola meal portion of feed with soybean meal will make a difference to lactating cows in terms of production, reproduction, and in sickness. This will be tested by having a long term study over 9 weeks with >315 cows being fed one of three feeds: the control, with normal amount of CM; the low dose, where only 3% of the CM normally included is switched with SBM; and the high dose where 6% of CM is switched with SBM. The cows will be measured for their body condition scores, milk production and quality, breeding status (ie. any changes in reproduction), blood samples (particularly to look at reproductive hormones), as well as fecal and urine samples to see if changes in protein source have any positive or negative impacts. This study is being done because there is no data on effects in the geographical area of California, and the dairy industry there heavily relies on canola meal as a protein source, with Canada being it's top exporter of CM for it's feed.

The results of this study showed that when canola meal (CM) was reduced in the diet and substituted with 63.5 g/kg DM of SBM, dairy cow performance, especially relative to milk yield and its components were reduced. This occurred in spite of the apparent absence of a methionine limitation (an important amino acid that needs to be supplemented in feed). When methionine was supplemented in the SBM ration, there was some improvements, but not to the level achieved by cows fed the CM ration. Therefore, the results suggest that the protein source, rather than the amino acid levels they contain, that has ruminal impact and determines milk production. Overall, the study found that the negative impact of SBM feeding on milk production limits its use to levels of <70 g/kg of DM.

  • Canola Growers Newsletter

    Maximize your membership value by staying up to date on information, events and services focused on farm success.

    SUBSCRIBE

    OR FOLLOW US

  • Hello Canola Newsletter

    When you get to know Canadian Canola, you might just fall in love.

    SUBSCRIBE

    OR FOLLOW US