Dairymen Should Consider
Liquid Protein Supplements
Sharp advances in grain and,
protein supplement costs have
combined to make liquid protein
supplements (LPS) more
economical than they have been
in the past. This means that more
dairymen should determine
whether or not they should use
LPS under their conditions, says
Richard S. Adams, Extension
dairy specialist at The Penn
sylvania State University.
In addition to being an
economical source of nutrients in
some cases, liquid protein sup
plements afford some con
venience in the feeding of heifers
and dry cows. LPS generally
contains 30-60 percent crude
protein equivalent with almost all
of it furnished by urea or some
other non-protein nitrogen
source. The material is carried in
a mixture of molasses, water and
added minerals.
Liquid protein supplements
often are self-fed in paddle-wheel
feeders to float tanks. Generally,
they are formulated with suf
ficient palatability to provide an
average daily intake of 1.5-2.5
pounds per head daily by dairy
cows. Some cows will not eat any
while a few may consume 12-20
pounds or more, says Adams.
A preferred method of
providing LPS to milk cows is to
meter it onto silage or possibly
hay. This allows for somewhat
greater control of intake. In some
cases it is used in a grain mixture
as a substitute for regular
molasses.
As opposed to fattening cattle,
dairy cows cannot adequately
balance their protein or mineral
needs solely through free-choice
feeding of a liquid protein sup
plement. Intake is largely a
function of palatability of the
formula as well as meeting
energy and dry matter needs.
Thus dairymen using LPS must
still feed a balanced ration
through the forced-feeding
portion of the diet. The average
intake of LPS must be considered
in balancing the ration.
Similar to the use of non
protein nitrogen (NPN) -com'
silage, feeding IPS enables in
take of non-protein nitrogen over
a more prolonged period of time.
This reduces risk of toxicity and
enables a greater use of NPN in
the total ration. It is difficult to
include over 1.0-1.5 percent urea
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 2,1973
equivalent in the grain mixture if
it is only fed twice daily. Such a
level also may be used in com
bination with LPS or silage to
which an NPN source was added
at ensiling. It is important,
however, not to use all three
sources of added NPN
simultaneously. Usually two
sources will not result in an ex
cessive NPN intake, which may
reduce appetite and per
formance, explains Adams.
Often heifers may be
satisfactorily raised on forage
alone plus 1.0-2.0 pounds of liquid
protein supplement per head
daily, depending upon the legume
content of the forage fed. Make
certain, however, that they have
adequate amounts of forage
before them most of the time, or
they may eat more LPS than one
can afford.
Few problems have been
associated with the feeding of
LPS. Some toxicity has been
noted when half-starved animals
not pre-conditioned to NPN
additives were allowed access to
LPS. Some individual animals
not pre-conditioned to NPN
additives also may be adversely
affected if they “hog” the
material in a short period of time.
It appears best to use self-feeders
only when the animals will have
access to them for at least four to
six hours daily, says Adams.
Some dry supplements con
taining urea or another NPN
source might be mixed with
silage at feeding time at a rate to
provide one to two pounds per
head daily. Usually supplements
to be used in this manner should
not contain much over 10-12
percent urea equivalent or 26-34
percent crude protein equivalent
from NPN. The use of a dry
supplement in this manner may
be considered when they provide
nutrients at a more reasonable
cost than liquid supplements. A
third alternative would be to limit
NPN additives to the grain
mixture. A level of 2.0-2.5 percent
urea equivalent may be used in
grain mixtures if it is fed in 3-5
feedings daily or mixed with the
silage, adds Adams.
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