Improving sustainability with rumen-protected amino acids

Published on 22-11-2022 - By Kemin

The feed industry continues to focus on improving sustainability while maintaining the quality and profitability of our dairy products. Therefore, there is a great opportunity for ruminants to produce more efficiently thanks to better feed efficiency and, as a result reducing the nitrogen (N), nitrous oxide (N2O), and phosphorus (P) excretion. The latter affects the total carbon footprint (Carbon dioxide equivalents, CO2-eq).

As such, amino acid balancing is critical in achieving the above goals. The correct ratios of amino acids in your animal's diet dramatically impact the amount of feed the animal will consume and the rate at which it will gain lean body mass. Therefore, understanding how to achieve the best amino acid balance and implementing such a feeding strategy will unlock significant benefits for your business.

Amino acid formulation as key element

Our research shows that when amino acid (AA) nutrition is implemented by applying the latest available nutritional knowledge together with the right rumen-protected AA supplements (both, Methionine and Lysine), better feed efficiency is observed (Francia et al., 2020) —as well as carbon footprint reduction and better animal health.

Therefore, AA formulation is key to the ruminant sector, reducing N, N2O, P, and CO2-eq excretion, improving feed efficiency, and enhancing the operating account per kilogram of milk, cheese, or meat produced. Moreover, other functional benefits of using rumen-protected amino acids (RPAA) include improved health and reproduction, which will inevitably lead to improved animal welfare and a reduced carbon footprint by having fewer unproductive animals on the farm and greater longevity.

We can do all this by reducing the Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) of daily formulations and improving animal health.

Read more about the role our rumen-protected amino acids play on the following webpage.