Effect of Added Dietary Fat on Performance, Rumen Characteristics, and Plasma Metabolites of Midlactation Dairy Cows

Effects of supplemental Jet-Sploded canola seed in the diets of dairy cows on milk yield and composition and blood metabolite concentrations were investigated. Twenty multiparous and 5 primiparous midlactation Holstein cows were assigned to treatments following a 3-wk covariate period; cows were then on the treatments for 70 d. Ten of the cows had previously been fitted with rumen cannulas. Five concentrate mixtures containing 0, 7.5, 15, 22, or 29% Jet-Sploded canola seed (Simons Feed Co., Quimby, IA) (equivalent to 0, 2.66, 5.33, 7.81, and 10.30% added fat, respectively) were formulated by substituting Jet-Sploded canola seed for barley and canola meal. Diets consisted of 25% alfalfa silage, 25% whole-crop oat silage, and 50% of one of the concentrate mixtures (dry matter basis). An increase in the amount of dietary fat from Jet-Sploded canola seed did not influence feed intake, milk yield or composition, or milk component yields. The inclusion of Jet-Sploded canola seed in the diet increased long-chain fatty acids and inhibited de novo synthesis of medium-chain fatty acids in milk. Mean total volatile fatty acids in the rumen and propionate concentration were reduced in a linear fashion by treatment. The inclusion of Jet-Sploded canola seed in the diets of mid-lactation cows altered rumen and blood metabolite concentrations; however, these changes had minimal effects on yield responses with the exception of milk fatty acid composition and milk protein content.