Effect of two sources of malate on dairy cows’ performance

A joint scientific research study conducted by  Norel S.A., Blanca and IRTA from Spain was presented  at the American Society of Animal Sciences annual meeting (ASAS, 2017). They compared the most frequent sources of malate in the feed industry with a control group. Treatments consisted of no supplementation (CTRL), 40 g/d of Rumalato® (RUM), and 25 g/d of malic acid (MAL). The equivalent daily amount of malic acid provided by RUM and MAL was the same (25 g/d). Cows were fed a TMR (15.3% CP, 31.8% NDF, 1.63 Mcal of NEl/kg; DM basis).

The study observed the production of milk, fat and protein cows yielded in each treatment on a daily basis. A total of 60 mid-lactation cows were divided into three groups and exposed to control, malic acid or malic acid salts treatment for 63 days. 

There were significant differences for milk (+2.1 kg/d and +1.4 kg/d, p<0.001), energy corrected milk (+1.4 kg/d and +1 kg/d, p<0.001) and fat (+0.03 kg/d, p<0.001) yields in favor of multiparous cows under RUM treatment compared to cows on CTRL and MAL treatments respectively.

It is concluded that sodium and calcium salts of malic acid have the potential to improve milk yield and total fat yield of multiparous cows in mid-lactation