Protect methionine and lysine in dairy rations

A high concentration of methionine or lysine in a dairy feed does not ensure that large amounts of it will pass to the small intestine for absorption, because the ruminal bacteria degrade amino acids to different extents. The degradability (how much is degraded in the rumen) of protein in feeds, along with the amount of protein that is indigestible in feeds, needs to be considered when evaluating feed sources of methionine and lysine, writes Gerold Higginbotham in the February issue of the California Dairy Newsletter.

Methionine and lysine are two amino acids which have been suggested to be potentially limiting milk and milk component production by dairy cows. If true, this means that high producing dairy cows need to be fed protein from sources which have both a good amino acid profile and have resistance to degradation by bacteria in the rumen. Methionine and lysine contents of proteins vary greatly among feeds. Fish meal and by-products produced from cereal grains (including corn), tend to have higher concentrations of methionine and lower lysine than soybean meal and blood meal. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine from Perendale Publishers.