Rumen-protected fats - hydrogenated fat supplements
Hydrogenated fats have primarily been based on palm fatty acid distillate, resulting in products with a more-balanced supply of C16:0 and stearic acid (C18:0) than the high-C16 supplements, and with the characteristic aroma of the raw material. At near 100% fat these supplements commonly have a C16:0 contribution to promote milk fat and data indicate a potential tissue preference for C18:0 as a metabolic energy source to promote milk yield and productive functions compared to straight C16:0 sources. However, research indicates that digestibility of C18:0 declines with increasing supply, such that these products can have lower digestibility than the calcium salt products and hence cost per unit of net energy may be higher for this category of fats than the calcium salts. These formulations are useful supplements as general energy sources to increase milk and milk solids but lack the unsaturated component which provides additional benefits to the calcium salt formulations.
There are some differences in product types available with products such as Volac Wilmar’s new Mega-Energy product based on alternative raw materials to produce a neutral-odour supplement in prilled form.
Click for more detail about Volac Wilmar's Mega-Energy product.