New in our factory: Rumen Protected Choline to further strengthen your dairy portfolio

Highly productive dairy cows go through major metabolic stress, especially around calving. During this transition period, the cow’s liver works harder to manage energy and fat metabolism. Choline is an essential nutrient that supports liver function by promoting the formation of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) which carry fat from the liver to other parts of the body. This process helps reduce the risk of fatty liver and other metabolic diseases linked to a negative energy balance.

The importance of rumen protected choline

To be effective, choline needs to reach the small intestine, where it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. However, normal choline cannot be used effectively in ruminants because it is broken down by microbes in the rumen before it can be absorbed. That is why it is important to use rumen protected choline. By coating choline with a protective fat layer, it bypasses the rumen and reaches the intestine intact, ready for absorption.

Rumen protected choline is a premium product. When applied correctly, it provides a strong return on investment through increased milk yield and reduced health costs. For optimal effect, rumen protected choline should be fed during the last three weeks before calving and in the early postpartum period. However, it is important to realise that it is only effective at the correct dosage.

Selecting the right source for homogeneity

As a quality-conscious premix producer, Koudijs strives for a homogenous free-flowing product, which requires a careful selection of ingredients based on strict quality parameters. To identify the most suitable source of rumen protected choline, samples from multiple suppliers were evaluated.

With choline, the first thing to consider is hygroscopicity - the ability to absorb moisture from the surrounding environment. Normal protected choline is known to have a high hygroscopicity which can cause stickiness or clumping of mineral feeds and premixes. Rumen protected choline is coated with fat, which decreases the hygroscopicity of the ingredient significantly. The fat coating acts as a physical barrier between the choline and the environment.

This coating increases the particle size of the ingredient. For our products, ingredients with uniform particle sizes, in line with other raw materials, are crucial to ensuring homogeneity of the final product. As a result, some rumen protected choline sources were excluded due to excessively coarse particles that could increase the risk of segregation of the final product.

Fat coated products can be sensitive to high temperatures and light, which can affect the quality of the product. To maintain ingredient quality, we store our raw materials in an air and temperature-controlled warehouse.

After the careful selection process we concluded that the selected source for rumen protected choline meets our nutritional, technological and quality standards, making it suitable for use in both mineral feeds and premix formulations.

Applying rumen protected choline in your portfolio

We are happy to advise you on the use of rumen protected choline in different farm situations at the appropriate dosages and to assist you in identifying the most practical application. For more information, please contact your Koudijs representative.