Maximizing Use of Canola Meal in Dairy Diets

Priorities
Animal Health Benefits of Canola Products 
Start Date
2013
End Date
2018
Principal Investigator
Helene Lapierre - AAFC (Sherbrooke)
Co-Investigators
Daniel Ouellet - AAFC in Sherbrook, Quebec, Antonio Faciola - University of Nevada, Tim Mutsvangwa - University of Saskatchewan, Glen Broderick - University of Wisonsin Madison, Kenneth Kalscheur - South Dakota State University and Peter Robinson - Cloverdale Dairy, California
MCGA Funding
$27,181
Total Project Funding
$1,913,996
External Funding Partners
Alberta Canola, SaskCanola, Canola Council of Canada, Canadian Agricultural Partnership
Report

Research Objective

  • Evaluate the effects of replacing soybean meal in a lactating dairy cow’s diet with canola meal or heat-treated canola meal on ruminal digestion, omasal nutrient flow, and performance
  • Determine the true amino acid composition and rumen un-degradable protein content (ie. how much protein approximately isn’t absorbed by the cow) of canola meal and soybean meal 
  • Determine the intestinal digestibility of canola meal (ie. what is actually taken up by the cow when it is eating versus what is absorbed and used in the cow’s body) 
  • Evaluate the impact of increasing the dietary proportion of canola meal on dry matter intake, production variable, and milk urea in lactating dairy cows

Project Description

The purpose of the project was to determine the effect of increasing canola meal as part of the diet of lactating and early lactating dairy cows on factors such as their ruminal digestion, omasal nutrient flow, performance, dry matter intake, production variability, and milk urea, as well as several others.  This was also the first time that the effects of canola meal had been measured on early-lactating cows. Soybean meal constitutes a large part of the average dairy cows’ diet rations, so substituting with canola meal wholly or partially and the benefits this can bring needed to be studied. 

The results from these studies demonstrated that adding canola meal to the dairy ration increased absorption of essential amino acids, which increases milk protein secretion and nitrogen efficiency. The research also found that canola meal can improve milk production on average 1 kg per cow per day, when replacing soybean meal. The inclusion rate of canola meal ranged from 11-17% (on a DM basis), and therefore can be included at levels that are commonly practiced in industry today. For the first time canola meal was included in the diets of early lactation cows, and it resulted in better performance when compared to soybean meal. The next step for this project would be for a longer term (ie. full lactation study) to follow up on these findings, but with a focus on reproductive and health performance as well.

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