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Canola Meal: A Versatile, Sustainable Protein Option
Benefits of Canola Meal in Dairy Diets
Canola meal simplifies ration balancing. Its superior amino acid profile and high percentage of rumen bypass (escape) protein consistently supports milk production with lower amounts of dietary protein, resulting in less milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and less nitrogen waste.
As a well-researched feed ingredient for dairy cows, canola meal consistently delivers value for dairy producers. Recent academic studies and field trials have shown that canola meal can replace common vegetable proteins and high bypass protein soybean meal products in rations balanced for amino acids.
- Increased milk production: Decades of research have shown that canola meal increases mid-lactation milk production by one litre (two pounds) per cow per day, compared to diets containing meal from other protein sources, such as soybean meal and cottonseed meal.
- Strong early lactation performance: Since 2016, researchers have conducted four studies that show using canola meal in early lactation diets can boost milk production by up to four litres (10 pounds).
- Greater persistency: Cows fed canola meal after peak lactation continue to maintain milk production.
- Excellent palatability: Recent studies show cows readily consume diets containing up to 20 per cent canola meal due to its appealing taste and texture.
- Compatibility with diverse rations: Canola meal pairs well with high-forage diets and various grains and starch levels.
- Rich source of phosphorus: A valuable source of this often costly and essential nutrient.
Bypass Protein: Puts Protein Where it Counts
When formulating dairy rations, the focus has historically been on crude protein, but more protein isn’t always better. What matters most for cows is delivering the right protein, in the right place. When this requirement is met, cows can use protein more efficiently, meaning less protein is lost in the manure pile and more is used to support milk production.
Canola meal provides the right protein, in the right place, at the right time. Canola meal stands out because of its rumen undegraded protein (RUP), or bypass protein – protein that escapes rumen breakdown and becomes available for digestion and absorption in the small intestine, where it directly supports the cow’s amino acid needs.
While canola meal may have lower crude protein levels than other feed alternatives, more of canola meal’s protein makes it past the cow’s rumen, putting the protein right where the cow needs it to produce milk.
Pound for pound, canola meal provides as much digestible RUP as soybean meal, even with its lower crude protein levels. The RUP in canola meal provides more available methionine and histidine than soybean meal and about 90 per cent as much lysine. Although high-protein distiller’s grains contain more digestible RUP than soybean meal or canola meal, they fall short in delivering the amino acids most critical for milk production, meaning larger inclusion rates needed to meet the same nutritional targets.
Feeding canola meal to dairy cows means better feeding efficiency, nutrition and higher milk production for dairy operations.
Benefits of Canola Meal in Other Ruminant Diets
Beef Cattle
Canola meal has been shown to replace several other vegetable protein products in beef cattle diets. Its energy value is comparable to barley and is effective for backgrounding, finishing and winter grazing.
Feeding trial results support its use in cow-calf and finishing diets:
- Less gestational weight loss: In grazing beef cows, canola meal performed similarly to sunflower and bean meals in supporting cow body condition and calf growth, while resulting in the least gestational weight loss.
- Improved in forage intake and milk yield: Canola meal in partial mixed rations has been shown to increase forage intake and early lactation milk yield.
- Proven performance in backgrounding cattle: Multiple studies show that canola meal improves intake and weight gain in backgrounded steers and heifers, supporting efficient growth during this critical production phase.
- Strong digestibility compared to other proteins: Canola meal demonstrated the highest total tract digestibility in trials comparing it to soybean meal and wheat distillers’ grains, supporting better protein utilization.
Sheep
Sheep benefit from canola meal’s high sulfur amino acid content, which is ideal for wool and mohair production and supports growth and feed intake:
- Safe and effective at high inclusion rates: Feeding trials with lambs have shown canola meal to improve intake and growth with no adverse effects, even at inclusion levels up to 30 per cent.
- Superior to traditional protein sources: Studies comparing canola meal to traditional ingredients like lupins and fish meal found canola meal superior in supporting weight gain and feed efficiency.
- Sustainable alternative to soybean meal: Recent research confirms that canola meal can replace soybean meal with no impact on growth, carcass traits or meat quality and it’s more environmentally sustainable.
Goats
For goats, canola meal supports milk production and growth performance:
- Increases milk production: Inclusion of canola meal in goat diets increased milk yield and dry matter intake with additional potential to enhance RUP content through formaldehyde treatment.
- Comparable to soybeans in dairy diets: Studies comparing rolled canola seed to extruded soybeans found no difference in milk yield or composition, even in high-concentrate diets.
- Improves feed conversion: Diets containing canola seed outperformed soybean meal, flaxseed and sunflower seed in feed conversion efficiency with similar average daily gains.
- Enhances fatty acid profile: Canola oil increased muscle omega-3 content, reduced internal fat and improved oxidative stability compared to palm oil.
To learn more about incorporating canola meal into dairy and other ruminant diets and how it compares to other feed alternatives, such as soybean meal, read the Canola Meal Dairy Feeding Guide or research articles specific to dairy cows.