Megalac vs ‘50%’ fats
Many dairy farmers use fat supplements as an energy source to improve
milk yield, fertility and herd performance. But does it matter which fat
supplement you choose to use?
Not all fats are equal
There are lots of fat supplements on the market. Some are scientifically proven to improve animal performance. Others claim to improve performance, but lack proper research to support this. To show just how big the difference between fats can be, two of them were compared in an independent scientific trial.
The fats
The cows
Eighteen early-mid lactation Holstein-Friesian dairy cows at Crichton Royal farm (Scotland’s Rural College; SRUC)
Why do Megalac cows perform better?
Megalac is a rumen-protected fat. This means it passes through the rumen for digestion in the small intestine, avoiding the negative effects on fibre digestion associated with liquid oils and high-oil ingredients in the ration.
The cow uses the energy in Megalac for milk production and performance. In fact, no other feed ingredient is proven to provide more energy for milk production than Megalac.
