Evaluation of Milk Components, Fatty Acid Profile, and Production of Cows Fed Rolled Flaxseed on Two Commercial Dairies

 

N.R. Bork*, G.P. Lardy*[1],[2], J.W. Schroeder*, K.A. Vonnahme*, P.M. Fricke†, K.B. Koch‡, K.G. Odde*3, R.D. Shaver†, S.J. Bertics†, M.L. Bauer*, and E. J. Scholljegerdes√

 

*Department of Animal and Range Science, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58105, USA

†Dairy Science Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, 53706, USA

‡ Northern Crops Institute, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58105, USA

√Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Mandan, ND 58554, USA

 

Abstract

The objective of this field trial was to study the effects of supplementing early lactation dairy cow diets with rolled flaxseed on milk composition, fatty acid profile, and yield. Conducted on 2 commercial dairies with cows naive to flaxseed, the treatments consisted of either their existing post-fresh ration (CON; n = 408) or a similar diet re-formulated with rolled flaxseed (FLX; n = 507; 0.85 kg DM/cow daily). Cows were assigned randomly to treatment upon leaving the fresh-cow pen (approximately 10 d postpartum) within parity (primiparous or multiparous). On both sites, cows remained in the study until confirmed pregnant or culled. Milk, TMR, and feedstuffs were collected monthly. Analyses included 915 cows. Milk production was collected and monitored using monthly DHIA records. Milk yield was analyzed as a split-plot with cow as the experimental unit and treatment by parity by farm as the whole-plot error term. Treatment did not interact with farm or parity. Milk from cows fed FLX had a greater (P £ 0.06), compared to CON, proportion of C18:0 (11.21 vs. 10.50 ± 0.13 g/100g), C18:1 (24.60 vs., 22.59 ± 0.20 g/100g), and C18:3n3 (0.85 vs. 0.53 ± 0.03 g/100g) fatty acids in the milk fat and a lesser (P £ 0.01) proportion of C16:0 (26.88 vs. 29.33 ± 0.17 g/100g).  Treatment did not affect milk yield (36.49 ± 1.11 kg/d), milk protein (2.77 ± 0.02 %), protein yield (1.01 ± 0.03 kg/d), milk fat (3.34 ± 0.04%), and milk fat yield (1.22 ± 0.05 kg/d). Feeding 0.85 kg DM of flaxseed daily can alter the fatty acid profile of milk while maintaining milk yield and composition in on-farm dairy applications.

 


[1] Funding for this study was provided by the North Dakota Oilseeds Council.

[2] To whom correspondence should be addressed: 177 Hultz Hall, Fargo, ND 58105; Phone: 701-231-7660; Fax: 701-231-7590: e-mail: gregory.lardy@ndsu.edu 

3 Current address: Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA.