Feeding Goldilocks diets, which are designed to moderate fat mobilization, is widely regarded as beneficial for the health of transition cows. However, when these diets are used, nutritionists often hesitate to recommend supplementing with rumen-protected choline (RPC) to reduce liver fat and improve animal health. They tend to assume that the benefits of RPC might overlap with those of Goldilocks diets.
In a recent study conducted at the University of Florida, researchers sought to determine whether RPC provides additional value to cows already receiving Goldilocks diets compared to those fed higher-energy diets. The study involved four dietary treatments arranged in a 2×2 factorial design. Half the cows were given a controlled energy diet, meeting their energy requirements, throughout the dry period (an average of 48 days), while the other half consumed a diet providing about 140% of their energy needs. Following calving, all cows were switched to a diet with the same energy density. Among the cows on each energy level, half received RPC supplementation (15 grams/day of choline chloride in a rumen-protected form) starting three weeks before calving and continuing for three weeks post-calving. The remaining cows did not receive RPC.
Surprisingly, the findings revealed no significant interactions between the diets and RPC supplementation. This means that the benefits of RPC were consistent, regardless of the type of diet fed during the dry period. Over the 15-week trial period, cows supplemented with RPC produced an average of 4.8 pounds more milk per day. Even after the trial concluded, the milk yield advantage persisted for up to 40 weeks postpartum. Interestingly, the increase in milk yield was nearly identical to the average increase seen in a previous meta-analysis of 13 trials (4.9 pounds per day), as discussed in an earlier myth-busting article.
The study suggests that the response to RPC supplementation is independent of the diet fed during the dry period. Thus, nutritionists can confidently recommend RPC supplementation to transition cows, even if they are on Goldilocks diets. This aligns with the conclusion of a prior myth-busting article, which stated that all cows, regardless of their dietary regimen, can benefit from RPC supplementation due to the physiological demands of calving and initiating lactation, which deplete choline levels.
These results highlight the versatility of RPC as a nutritional supplement. While Goldilocks diets are effective at moderating fat mobilization, RPC offers additional advantages that complement its benefits. The study's findings underscore the importance of considering RPC as a universal tool to support transition cow health and productivity, irrespective of dietary strategy.
*FIGURE 1 illustrates the changes in NEFA uptake by the liver during the transition period, demonstrating how RPC can mitigate some of the challenges associated with increased fat mobilization.
Takeaway Message: The Florida study reinforces the idea that RPC supplementation provides consistent benefits to transition cows, regardless of whether they are on Goldilocks diets or higher-energy regimens. Nutritionists should feel encouraged to recommend RPC supplementation to optimize the health and productivity of all transition cows.
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Sources:
GRUMMER, R. R. 2012.
Choline: A limiting nutrient for transition dairy cows. Proc. Cornell Nutr. Conf.
JANOVICK, N. A., Y. R. BOLSCLAIR, AND J. K. DRACKLEY.
2011. Prepartum dietary energy intake affects metabolism and health during the periparturient period in primiparous and multiparous Holstein cows. J. Dairy Sci. 94:1385-1400.
RICHARDS, B. F. 2011.
Strategies to Decrease Fatty Liver in Dairy Cows. PhD Thesis. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
ZENOBI, M. G., R. GARDINAL, J. E. ZUNIGA, A. L. G.
Dias, C. D. Nelson, J. P. Driver, B. A. Barton, J. E. P. Santos, and C. R. Staples. 2018. Effects of supplementation with ruminally protected choline on performance of multiparous Holstein cows did not depend upon prepartum caloric intake. J. Dairy Sci. 101:1088-1327.
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