Research unveils more insight into canola meal’s nutrient profile and impact on the dairy animal.

Canola meal has become a common feed ingredient in dairy rations across the United States. Yet, while inclusion of this protein is growing, there are still several misconceptions around its nutrient composition and uses.

“Canola meal is an excellent source of protein, amino acids and energy for dairy cows at any life stage,” said Essi Evans, Ph.D., E+E Technical Advisory Services. “Understanding the complete nutrient profile is essential to ensure producers and nutritionists can make informed decisions when comparing feed ingredients.”

The following are three of the most common myths surrounding canola meal for dairy cows:

Myth No. 1: Your tried-and-true resources are good/accurate

As global demand for canola oil and meal continues to grow, so too does the body of research available on canola meal use in dairy rations. As such, it is important to reference the most up-to-date information when considering canola. The Canola Meal Dairy Feeding Guide is updated every few years to ensure the latest research is available, noted Dr. Evans.

While a nutrient analysis is often conducted for forages, feed value for concentrate ingredients is generally obtained from tabular data with values assigned by ration balancing programs or the feed provider. Tabular data can become outdated, resulting in producers and nutritionists overlooking these ingredients as economical nutrient sources.

For newer ingredients, or newer varieties of ingredients, feed values may not even be available. For example, the former Nutrient Research Council (NRC) publication didn’t list solvent-extracted canola meal. Make sure tabular data represent all available ingredients when making ration decisions.

“New protein analysis methods continue to be developed, and the results can make a big difference for some ingredients,” said Dr. Evans. For example, canola meal was previously assumed to provide little escape protein (or bypass protein), however newer research shows canola meal is an exceptional source of escape protein.

Finally, research data can only go so far. Seeking out input from other farmers who have used canola meal on their dairy and considering an on-farm trial provides understanding of how cows will respond to canola meal.

Myth No. 2: Canola meal is just for lactating cows

Canola meal can be fed to calves, growing heifers and dry cows as well as cows in lactation. Canola meal is highly palatable for animals after weaning. Although well-suited on a nutritional basis, canola meal is less likely to be included in calf starter diets due to concerns over palatability.

“With canola meal, calves may be a little slow to eat it, but research studies have shown they’re still eating a similar amount as diets with other protein ingredients,” said Dr. Evans. Research has also shown that sweeteners can be useful to improve acceptance in feeds containing canola meal, particularly during pre-weaning.

Feeding calves canola meal has also been demonstrated to support healthy gut development, Dr. Evans added. Rapid rumen development can be influenced by not just the grain, but also the protein ingredients in the diet.

In university feeding trials, three calves were given diets that provided either 24% soybean meal or 35% canola meal. Calves were slaughtered at 72 days of age, and the rumen lining was examined. There was less rumen lining sloughing when calves received the canola meal diet.

In a follow-up study, four calves received diets with levels of canola meal ranging from 0% to 20.7% of the dry matter. The canola meal replaced 0%, 15%, 30%, 45% or 60% of the soybean meal in the supplement without affecting digestibility immediately post-weaning (see Table 1).

Myth No. 3: Canola meal’s energy value is too low to feed to early-lactation cows

“Many producers and nutritionists have misconceptions about the energy value of canola meal because, in the past, it has been undervalued in many publications and feed formulation programs,” Dr. Evans explained. “In fact, like most concentrate ingredients, canola meal is a good energy source.”

Since 2016, there have been four research studies showing that cows given canola meal in early lactation produced greater quantities of milk (see Table 2).

Dr. Evans noted that lignin was previously used to adjust fiber digestibility, and, while lignin isn’t digestible, it doesn’t affect the digestibility of the remaining fiber in canola meal. Energy values must be calculated using true fiber digestibility data, which is high for canola meal.

Canola meal is an excellent source of protein for dairy cow and calf rations. It often provides economic advantages by lowering ration costs and increasing productivity and should be considered when formulating diets.

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