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Linseed: the benefits of rumen bypass fats without the disadvantages

By 27 October 2018 July 8th, 2019 No Comments

Covalin FF consists of pure linseed, where a special treatment has been used to give healthy unsaturated fats rumen-bypass capability. The trial showed that this product has a more positive effect on milk production than many other products that contain solid fats.

Adding fats to the diet is an attractive option because they contain a lot of energy and few phosphates. But not all fats are the same. For instance, non-bypass unsaturated fats in the diet lead to an increase in milk production, but also lower milk-fat content. The latter is caused by digestion in the rumen.

Reputation of solid fats

This downside does not apply to rumen-bypass fats. Many rumen-bypass products contain saturated fats, which are normally based on solid palm fats. They help to considerably increase the milk’s fat percentage, but only offer a limited increase in the number of produced litres.
In addition, potential impact on feed intake can present risks during the initial lactation phase. The taste of saturated fats is less appealing to cows, which means a decrease in feed intake can be encountered in ‘freshed’ cows.
Furthermore, the dairy industry already raised concerns about the use of saturated fats in 2017. The industry believes they lead to solid fats in produced milk, which has a negative impact on the quality of cheese and butter.

The best of 2 worlds

Covalin FF consists of pure linseed, where a special treatment has been used to give many healthy unsaturated fats rumen-bypass capability. This means Covalin FF combines the best of two worlds: a major increase in produced litres, while retaining valuable content.

Appealing price

Linseed is very tasty and, besides bypass unsaturated fats, also contains other nutrients like a large amount of rumen-bypass protein. As a result, Covalin FF is more attractively priced than products that consist of 100 percent fat. From a commercial perspective, the product is thus a very attractive alternative for solid fats. This was confirmed by results from a trial featuring 200 cows.

Halthy omega 3 and 6 fatty acids

Linseed is a non-GMO raw material, which means this product effectively complies with existing VLOG requirements.  It also has a unique composition as far as fatty acids are concerned. Covalin FF is rich in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which have a positive effect on cattle fertility and health. A diet containing such fatty acids also leads to better quality milk-fat, softer butter and smoother cheese.

Bypass fat and protein in linseed, soya and rapeseed

% bypass fat % bypass protein Saturated fatty acids Omega 3 + Omega 6 Liters milk % milk-
fat
Fertility
Solid fats 99 +++  0/+ +++ 0
Covalin FF 65 85 0 +++ ++ 0/+ +++

Covalin FF is full-fat linseed that has undergone a special treatment. This means certain proteins have become resistant to enzymes in the rumen. This not only applies to the proteins themselves, but also to fat molecules embedded in their membrane.
The method also allows toasted full-fat soya beans (Covasoy FF) and rapeseed powder (Covarap FF) to be processed into attractive cattle feed.

 

Covalin FF CovaSoy FF CovaRap FF