Why Rumen Protected Lysine?

The Benefits of Rumen Protected Lysine

Meeting lysine requirements is critical to maximize production, efficiency and overall health in dairy cows, but this essential amino acid must be supplemented into the diet as it cannot be produced naturally in the body. Turning to a rumen protected lysine source like USA Lysine^® is a cost-effective solution to improve dairy cow feed efficiency. 

Rumen protected lysine is more effective than a byproduct or commodity such as blood meal. Variations in the quality of commodity protein sources impact the amount of metabolizable protein lysine (MP Lysine) available to the animal, which can result in requirements not being met, negatively impacting performance. USA Lysine provides higher, more consistent levels of MP Lysine than other protein sources. Simply stated, with other options you don't get what you paid for. Unless it's rumen protected lysine like USA Lysine, you're likely not meeting the cow's lysine requirements. 

Comparing USA Lysine to the Variability of Blood Meal

Using blood meal as a lysine source for dairy cows is significantly less reliable because a Maillard reaction occurs when blood meal is heated and dried. Through this reaction, some of the lysine chemically binds to sugars in the blood meal, so even though the lysine is still present, it is now unavailable and cannot be used by the cow. Learn more by watching the Maillard Reaction video below.

How Variable is Your Blood Meal?

As shown in the video, a Maillard reaction can negatively impact the amount of MP Lysine supplied by blood meal. Unfortunately, computer software cannot account for the variability, leading to unmet MP Lysine requirements. A half-pound of high-quality blood meal should provide approximately 20 grams of MP Lysine. As the figure below shows, average-quality blood meal provides 10 grams less MP Lysine compared to good-quality blood meal. The question is: Which one are you feeding? A blood meal alternative like USA Lysine is more reliable and more cost-effective. 

Figure 1. The difference between good and poor quality blood meal based on the amount of MP Lysine supplied

Even though blood meal may be inexpensive, customers are often not getting what they paid for. Here are three things to remember about using blood meal as your lysine source based on IVNIDA research:

• MP Lysine values differ between blood meal sources
• Color and particle size is not an indication of quality
• It is impossible to accurately forecast the amount of metabolizable protein fed

Watch the Blood Meal Variability video below to learn more.

Resources

Kemin has collected and tested more than 70 blood meal samples from customers across the United States since 2015. "The Variability of Nitrogen Digestibility in Blood Meal Negatively Impacts Ability to Formulate Diets" showcases the nitrogen digestibility of those samples and explains the negative environmental impact of its digestion by animals. 

"The Truth About Blood Meal Variability" uses Kemin research to dispel the many misconceptions about blood meal quality and variability.

Fill the Gap in Your Variability

Using USA Lysine as your primary lysine source for dairy cows creates a variety of opportunities. Watch the Fill the Gap video below to learn more about these opportunities.

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