High energy liquid feed helps add value and enhance milk production

With the likelihood of significant variability in grass, wholecrop and maize forages across Scotland this coming winter, dairy producers should consider options to boost rumen energy, to help improve utilisation of these forages, advises Stephen Ball from KW Feeds.

“LactoBoost, a co-product from the processing of milk for cheese and whey protein product manufacture, is a high-energy, lactose-rich liquid feed supplement, proven to stimulate rumen activity by providing bacteria with an instant energy source,” he explains.

Research at SRUC has shown LactoBoost can effectively replace cereal while maintaining milk and milk constituent yield, helping to reduce feed costs. It also helps drive better utilisation of home-produced feeds, making it a cost-effective source of ready to feed sugar.

Suitable for herd sizes of a minimum of 250 head in milk, the lactose sugar in LactoBoost supplies fermentable energy more quickly than some starches or more complex carbohydrates.

“This helps rumen microbes, especially those that digest fibre, to function better. This improved fibre digestion can lead to more energy being available overall,” continues Mr Ball.

With more readily available sugar, rumen microbes have the energy to break down fibre more efficiently, improving total dry matter digestibility. Better fibre digestion means cows can extract more nutrients from forages, particularly useful where forage quality or forage energy density is a limiting factor.

LactoBoost can be fed as part of a TMR, and as a low dry matter liquid, it helps reduce ration sorting, as it disperses through the whole of the mix.

“Because of its energy content and fermentability, LactoBoost can partially replace more expensive cereals in the ration while still maintaining milk yield and milk component yields, making it economically advantageous, while also helping to drive better utilisation of grass silage, or combinations of grass, wholecrop or maize silages,” concludes Mr Ball.

Click here for more information on LactoBoost.