Amino acid balancing to defend producer profitability

When milk protein prices are low, it is normal to look to challenge costs and the inclusion of ingredients or feed additives that may or may not be helping the bottom line. Unlike a feed additive, the amino acid methionine is an essential nutrient and is critical to optimal production and metabolism. Cost-effectively balancing the amino acid (AA) levels in dairy rations optimizes production, health and reproduction. Beyond its well-known role as a building block for milk protein synthesis, methionine is essential for the synthesis of other important proteins and enzymes in the body that are necessary for the health, wellbeing and productivity of lactating dairy cows. Smartamine® M and MetaSmart® are proven sources of methionine to be used in formulating cost-effective dairy rations.

While the production benefits of AA balancing with Smartamine® M or MetaSmart® are well documented, the value of the indirect benefits is underappreciated. The benefits of AA balancing on health and reproduction is less obvious in the short term, but over time, proper AA balancing can decrease health problems and increase reproductive performance.

At first glance, reducing the inclusion rate of Smartamine® M or MetaSmart® may seem appealing when feed costs are high, but doing so will reduce the amount of methionine at the dairy cow’s disposal. The consequences may not be immediately apparent – but over time, milk and component yield will decline and the previous gains in metabolic health and reproductive efficacy will be lost.

Here are steps to consider to optimize feed costs, maintain performance, and defend profitability;

1. Use the right protected amino acids. Cost per ton is not a good way to evaluate protected amino acids; the cost per unit of the metabolizable amino acid is much more important. Utilize only proven products supplied by reputable companies, which are supported by peer-reviewed research, and that have good data on the bioavailability (BV) of their products.
2. Make sure you first target the grams of methionine necessary for the level of performance you are trying to achieve. If the target is 40kgs of milk at 4.0% milk fat and 3.4% milk protein, a minimum of 72 grams is required. In the prefresh ration, the target is a minimum of 35grams per day.
3. Balance to the ideal Lysine: Methionine ratio.
   • For diets of lactating cows evaluated with CNCPS, dial in the optimum lysine:methionine ratio of 2.69:1. When the ratio is above the ideal, there is opportunity to reduce costs by formulating the ratio down to the ideal to remove “extra” lysine that is not needed. When the lysine:methionine ratio is below the ideal, there is opportunity to increase performance by formulating the supply of lysine up to achieve the ideal ratio, or to lower costs by reducing the amount surplus methionine being fed. Unless the lysine:methionine ratio is at the ideal level, there is inefficiency and less-than-ideal utilization of the protected amino acids being fed.
   • Note that during the peripartal period, the ideal lysine:methionine ratio is 2.60:1, due to the increased demand for methionine for liver function, antioxidant status and immune response.
4. In lactation diets, ensure enough metabolizable methionine continues to be supplied to support the level of energy in the diet. Ideally 1.19 grams methionine per MCal of ME should be supplied, but certainly methionine levels should not fall below 1.10 grams methionine per MCal to conserve most of the benefits to AA balancing.
5. Improve efficiency and potentially lower ration costs through reformulation to reduce surplus metabolizable protein (MP) in the ration. As long as reformulation maintains the desired grams of lysine and methionine, MP concentration can be allowed to decrease without any negative consequences on performance.The table below shows the typical amino acid balance of a high-producing group balanced to close to the ideal amino acid levels in the CNCP system, with a typical MP supply of 3,000 grams. The concentration of amino acids relative to the energy supply are at the target levels, as is the lysine:methionine ratio. After reformulation, the same amino acid balance and supply is achieved in a diet that contains 300 grams less MP. Because the amino acid concentrations are still below the optimal concentrations in MP, the reformulated diet will provide the same performance – but at a lower cost.
6. Utilize nonlinear optimization to achieve equal or better nutrient density at a lower cost. Today’s modern ration balancing programs have very powerful non-linear least-cost optimizers that can evaluate thousands of options in seconds, and find less expensive ways to reach the desired targets than can be achieved by hand balancing. With good information on feed prices, and with some flexibility on what can be fed, it is possible to trim feed costs by $0.10, $0.20, or even $0.30 per cow per day. Optimization doesn’t need to take a lot of time, and it does not need to be done for minor updates – but it can provide better results when feed prices, forage supplies, or forage qualities change.

Product names and availability may vary by region, please contact your local Adisseo representative for more information.