Utilization of canola meal in the diets of early lactation dairy cows

Term: 4 years, ending March 31, 2023
Status: Complete
Researcher(s): Kenneth Kalscheur, Wenli Li, USDA-ARS, U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center; Laura Hernandez, University of Wisconsin-Madison
SaskCanola Investment: $133,518.12
Total Project Cost: $266,918.12
Funding Partners: ACPC

Grower Benefits

• Inclusion of canola meal as a replacement for soybean meal resulted in greater milk yield and milk component yield in the diets of high producing dairy cows.

• Findings will provide valuable information to the dairy nutrition industry on how canola meal can be successfully incorporated into the diets of high producing dairy cows in an economically sustainable way.

Project Summary

Greater milk yield is achieved when canola meal replaces soybean meal in the diets of high producing dairy cows. In addition, persistency of milk yield is greater for cows fed canola meal. Part of the explanation for greater milk is because cows fed canola meal consumed more feed resulting in greater milk production. Furthermore, canola meal provides a greater source of methionine resulting in greater lactation performance.

The objective of the first experiment was to determine the effect of feeding isonitrogenous diets with canola meal compared to soybean meal as the primary source of dietary protein during the close-up dry period and early lactation on production measures in Holstein dairy cows. The objective of the second experiment was to determine the effect of feeding isonitrogenous diets with canola meal compared to soybean meal as the primary protein source during mid-lactation on production and physiological measures in Holstein dairy cows determined to have either high or low residual feed intake.

In the first study, 80 Holstein dairy cows were assigned to one of four treatments in a randomized complete block design to evaluate whether diets formulated with canola meal or with soybean meal during the close-up dry period or during early lactation impacted lactation performance through the first 4 months of lactation.  In the second study, 72 Holstein cows were enrolled in a 2 × 2 factorial randomized complete block design, with high or low RFI cows assigned to either the SBM or CM diet for 10 weeks during peak milk production.

In the first experiment, substituting canola meal (CM) for soybean meal (SBM) in diets fed during the close-up dry period and early lactation increased production measures in Holstein dairy cows during the first 4 months of lactation. Dry matter intake (DMI) increased for cows fed the diets with CM compared to SBM during the close-up dry period and during early lactation. Consequently, milk yield tended to increase for cows fed the diets with CM compared to SBM throughout early lactation.  In the second experiment, substituting CM for SBM in diets fed during mid-lactation increased production measures in Holstein dairy cows irrespective of whether cows were classified as highly or lowly efficient as designated by residual feed intake.  Interestingly, cows fed diets with CM resulted in greater milk persistency over the 10-week study compared to cows fed diets with SBM.  These results demonstrated the nutritive value of canola meal as a feedstuff in high producing dairy cow diets.