Protected starch boosts yields

High-yielding dairy cow diets may be balanced for energy, but many diets are failing to supply enough metabolic glucose – a driver for milk yield, according to NWF’s Tom Hough.

“The problem is the main source of metabolic glucose/glucogenic energy is starch and, while increasing starch may seem at first glance the best way to increase glucose, if too much starch is fermented in the rumen there is a risk of acidosis and reduced rumen function,” he says.

This is why a new protected starch product, Ultra Starch-W, could be the solution to driving yields without risking rumen health, he says.

“A protected starch allows a greater proportion of the starch to pass through the rumen upgraded, in doing so increasing the supply of glucogenic precursors without placing rumen health at risk.

“Each kilogram of Ultra-Starch-W provides sufficient extra glucose precursors to produce one-third of a litre of milk more than untreated wheat. It is a significant development in dairy cow feeding and is a more cost-effective way to increase glucose production and drive high yields,” he adds.