Our second writing was done by Loren Foley. She is a senior at the University of Tennessee studying Animal Science and pursuing an accelerated Master’s degree with Dr. Eckelkamp in Ruminant Nutrition.
Utilizing fatty acids to increase milk fat and energy intake
This symposium focused on utilizing fatty acids in a variety of ways to increase milk fat and energy intake in lactating dairy cattle facing negative energy balance.
Dr. Uzi Moallem began the symposium discussing Israeli research on digestibility of diet components, particularly protected fats enriched with palmitic acid. He compared two fatty acids in the same form, as calcium salt, and looked at how they differ in their fatty acid profile as CS45:35 vs. CS80:10. Additionally, he compared CS80:10 to FF80:10, which are different forms with the same fatty acid profile.
The symposium also featured Dr. Caesar Matamoros and his work with Dr. Kevin Harvatine in Department of Animal Science at Penn State University. This research focuses on how sodium acetate supplementation can be used to increase milk fat production. Interestingly, he tested parity interactions, and looked at the difference in genetic potential for milk fat synthesis and energy requirements among cows.
José dos Santos Neto, a graduate student from Michigan State University, has evaluated the effects of infusing T80 either into the rumen or abomasum. His conclusions take into account the dry matter intake (DMI), nutrient intake, nutrient digestibility, and production responses.
Jair Parales-Giron, also of Michigan State University, is working to determine the effects of carbon-16 supplementation on DMI, milk fat yields, FCM, and ECM of primiparous cows during early lactation, specifically, the second and third weeks.
Sarah Bennett, a PhD student from Penn State University, talked about the blending of HMTBa into a fat supplement fed to a cow to combat milk fat depression.
Ursula Abou-Rjeileh, a graduate student at Michigan State University, is focused on determining if fatty acid supplementation may be a strategy to improve energy intake and reduce the negative energy balance in lactating animals. Her procedure looks at the effect if oleic acid on insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function in AT of periparturient dairy cows.