Effects of Feeding Diets Containing Calcium Salts of Long-Chain Fatty Acids to Lactating Dairy Cows

Abstract

Four cows were utilized in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to investigate the effects of feeding Ca salts of long-chain fatty acids. Treatments were control diet with 1) no added fat, 2) 3% Ca salts of long-chain fatty acids, 3) 6% Ca salts of long-chain fatty acids, and 4) 9% Ca salts of long-chain fatty acids. Cows were fed chopped alfalfa hay, alfalfa haylage, corn silage, and concentrate (15:22:13:50) on a DM basis. Dry matter intake, energy intake, and ruminal fermentation were not altered greatly until Ca salts of long-chain fatty acids constituted 9% of DMI. Digestibilities of DM, OM, ADF, NDF, and hemicellulose were not affected by treatment. Digestibilities of cellulose, soluble residue, total C18 fatty acids, and total fatty acids followed quadratic patterns. Absorption of N was increased linearly when fat was fed, but digestibility of Ca was decreased linearly. Milk production, CP, and SNF were not altered greatly by inclusion of 3 or 6% Ca salts of long-chain fatty acids in the diet, but inclusion of 9% Ca salts of long-chain fatty acids decreased their production. Calcium salts of long-chain fatty acids increased milk fat percentage and production of fat and FCM when fed as 3 or 6% of the dietary DM but decreased yields of milk fat and FCM when fed as 9%. Calcium salts of fatty acids can be fed to provide up to 6% of the dietary DM without deleterious effects on ruminal fermentation and digestibilities of most nutrients.