SCA NuTec to introduce new dairy feed additive

SCA NuTec will launch a new natural feed supplement that can boost fibre digestion, which in turn can increase feed efficiency and milk yield this autumn.

The new supplement, Amaferm, works by providing rumen fungi the nutrients they need to accelerate fibre digestion. The rumen cannot function without fungi as they are responsible for breaking down cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. Rumen fungi are first to invade the plant wall, usually within 30 seconds of feeding.

Amaferm will maximise the digestibility of rumen fibre and improve the synthesis of microbial protein, as an improvement in fibre digestion will boost feed intakes, feed efficiency and milk yields, said SCA NuTec's technical ruminant manager Norman Downey.

Laboratory tests show a 27-percent increase in rumen fungal growth and an 87-percent increase in cellulose activity compared with the control - both components play a key role in fibre digestion in the rumen.

Results from 18 different on-farm trials show an average increase in milk yield of 4.5 percent where Amaferm is used compared with the control.

Trials on two farms in Lancashire have shown positive responses in milk yield, around two kg a day, where Amaferm was included as part of the total mixed ration. Where Amaferm was included, at a rate of four grammes per cow per day in the ration fed to a herd of 134 Holsteins, milk yield increased from an average of 30 litres per cow per day to a maximum of 31.89 litres. Costing 9.5p per cow per day and based on a milk price of 25ppl this provided a return on investment of 5 to 1.