The Rural Voice, 1987-12, Page 56MERRY —
EfiRISTMAS
Moy your days
s /
v
shine with a bright-
ness that fills your
heart with joy and
contentment on this
holiest of holidays! al I
COURTNEY 711111
FARM SUPPLIES
RIPLEY 519-395-2915
To celebrate and
thank you all for your
loyal & welcome support.
HACKETT'S
FARM EQUIPMENT
LUCKNOW
sE us Cty. Rd. 1, S. 519-529-7914
Peace
on
Earth
Time to say Thank You and to
wish you a Happy Holiday Season
from
KOOTSTRA
Drying and Storage
R.R. 5, Clinton 233-3421 bus.
233-3180 res.
54 THE RURAL VOICE
ADVICE
CANOLA MEAL
IN DAIRY RATION
Dairy producers in Eastern Canada
have been feeding canola meal in dairy
rations more often recently, but there is
still a reluctance to use it, especially as
the sole protein supplement. This reluc-
tance has been based on prejudices
against canola meal and a concern that it
may not be palatable as an altemate
supplement when used in rations based
on corn.
Such a concern has had no basis in
scientific literature, and research done
by Dr. G. W. MacLeod and L. W. Cahill
of the Department of Animal Science at
the University of Guelph has confirmed
the effectiveness of canola meal when
fed to high -producing cattle.
The research was designed to deter-
mine the palatability of rations contain-
ing canola meal in proportions ranging
from 0 to 15 per cent of the total ration
dry matter (0 to 30 per cent of the con-
centrate portion) where shelled corn
was the sole grain and corn silage the
dominant forage. The effects of substi-
tuting canola meal for soybean meal on
milk yield and milk composition were
also determined.
All the rations in the trial were:
(1) formulated to 17 per cent crude
protein,
(2) had a forage:concentrate ration
of 50:50, and
(3) corn silage was the dominant
forage (hay silage was the minor rough-
age).
The trial showed that using canola to
make up part or all of the supplemental
protein in corn -based rations has no
adverse effects on feed intake, milk
yield, or milk composition. Given the
fact that most alternate roughages (hay
or hay crop silage) and alternate grains
(barley or oats) are higher in protein than
corn silage and shelled corn, it is un-
likely that there are many occasions in
which dairymen would be justified in
going to higher than the 15 per cent
canola meal level in the total ration.
Dr. MacLeod and Dr. Cahill have
concluded from these research results
that canola meal can be counted on to
support high levels of milk yield in corn -
based diets just as it can for hay/barley-
based diets.0