Stretch your protein stocks with Optigen®

Overcoming the protein challenge in your herd’s diet

The protein challenge is not new, and it is not going away in a hurry.

Dietary protein is an essential component of the ruminant diet, supporting production profitability and agri-food sustainability.

However, ongoing protein supply/cost issues, coupled with demands for environmentally friendly protein sourcing, are ultimately compelling dairy and beef producers to drive on-farm protein-efficiency and look at alternatives.

What you can do to stretch your protein stocks

To sustain profitability, dairy and beef producers are learning how to cut back on losses and keep operations running more efficiently.

Here is what our specialists are advising:

1. Note the variability of soluble protein content within current ingredients

2. Support the rumen to create more microbial protein

3. Focus on growing high-quality and high-protein forages

4. Avoid ration inconsistencies via diet feeder loading accuracy

5. Part-replace current proteins with Optigen®

6. Identify and address your feed conversion efficiency pinch points

This forward-thinking agility is essential in overcoming the current and future protein challenge.

We are here to help.

Chris Lord, U.K. InTouch Manager, provides vital on-farm insight on what you can do to stretch your protein stocks.

How does Optigen help?

Optigen^® provides a slow-release source of non-protein nitrogen (NPN) to the rumen bacteria over time.

This leads to an increase in microbial protein levels and, in turn, optimises fibre digestion and available energy for milk and meat production.

The slow and continual supply of ruminal ammonia provided by Optigen serves to meet the nitrogen needs of rumen microbes more effectively than other sources.

How Optigen is proven to work

Two statistical analyses (also known as meta-analyses) on Optigen were recently completed on both dairy and beef research. The analyses combined the results of 17 dairy studies carried out in six countries and 17 beef studies carried out in nine countries. The findings below reaffirmed that Optigen is a viable substitute for plant protein sources in ruminant rations, resulting in improved feed efficiency, profitability and environmental sustainability for dairy and beef production.

Dairy

Reduce soybean meal use by 21%
Improve feed efficiency by 3%
Improve nitrogen use efficiency by 4%
Increase production profitability of a 1,000 dairy herd by £13,035
Improve agri-food sustainability by lowering the carbon footprint of a 1,000 dairy herd by 647 tonnes of CO₂e

Beef

Improve both feed efficiency and liveweight gain by 8%
Reduce time to slaughter by 9 days
Increase production profitability of a 1,000 beef herd by £14,146
Improve agri-food sustainability by lowering the carbon footprint of a 1,000 beef herd by 111 tonnes of CO₂e

Our comprehensive one-pager summary documents give an overview of key meta-analysis research findings on the effects of Optigen^® on dairy and beef cattle performance.

Sign up for an overview of key research findings and the opportunity to request personalised advice.

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