ISSUE FOCUS 40 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2023 Choline is recognized as a required nutrient to help cows utilize the fat (NEFA) mobilized from body stores. NEFA production is the cows’ natural way of managing negative energy balance during the early stages of lactation and is a primary source of energy for many functions. Metabolic issues occur when the cow’s liver cannot effectively process all the NEFA being mobilized, which can adversely affect liver function. This leads to increased ketones in the blood (ketosis), which can impair feed intake, reduce milk yield, and can lead to or exacerbate other metabolic disorders. ReaShure has a 25-year track record of helping cows make a healthy transition from the dry period into a productive and profitable lactation. New research is helping us understand why choline is a required nutrient for essentially every cow regardless of milk production level, body condition score or health status. Virtually all cows will profitably respond to choline supplementation during the transition period. A short-term investment during transition can result in long-term returns through higher peaks, greater full lactation milk yields and through the health, well-being, and productivity of the next generation. So, the next time you see your cows filling up the bulk tank, don’t think of them as working hard. Rather, think of them as simply doing what we’ve bred them and fed them to do: fully express their health and vitality in the form of an abundance of wonderfully nutritious milk. Graphic 2. Effect of ReaShure-XC supplementation on colostrum yield Swartz et al., (2022)
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