Enhancing the productivity of dairy cows using amino acids

Abstract

Since the revision of the National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle in 2001, significant progress has been made in balancing the amino acid composition of dairy cow diets. In formulating such diets, it is important not only to satisfy requirements for rumen degradable protein and rumen undegradable protein, but also to ensure a balanced ratio between the first two limiting amino acids, lysine and methionine, as well as with other amino acids. A lysine to methionine ratio of 3 : 1 in metabolisable protein (when using the NRC model) increases the cost-efficiency of diets and milk yield, and renders milk production more predictable. Moreover, balancing amino acids gives the opportunity to formulate diets with less rumen-undegradable protein, improves the cow’s health and reproductive performance, and decreases nitrogen excretion.