Rumen Protection = Sustainability & Better Feed Conversion for Livestock
The concept of Beachport Liquid Minerals was born nearly two decades ago out of a personal need for a more cost effective, more sustainable and efficient form of livestock supplementation.
Today, the livestock producer is under immense pressure from a range of facets in this modern world including the traditional pressures of seasonal conditions and ever-increasing costs. They are now also under the constant scrutiny of the consumer around sustainability and the effects of livestock production on the environment. These very real factors are relevant now more than ever to the livestock industry and must be addressed by producers.
“In the past, overfeeding protein was a very common approach to meeting the amino acid requirements because protein was relatively inexpensive and environment excretion of nitrogen was not a big concern. Today, protein quality and price volatility are major concerns, as is the need to reduce nitrogen excretion into the environment.”
(Annison EF,1981. The role of protein which escapes ruminal degradation.
(Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition in Australia. University of New England Publishing Unit.)
For a long time in ruminant nutrition, it has been recognised that one of the major roadblocks for improving the efficiency of livestock production has been rumen degradation. In the past, a daily intake was the only way to successfully combat rumen degradation but now, financial and environmental pressures are forcing the livestock industry and producers to look to other alternatives.
Rumen protection for efficient uptake by the animal and the use of seagrass and kelp are two alternatives that innovative producers are now looking to. These alternatives have now also been acknowledged and embraced by the livestock industry, which we’re extremely excited about because the foundations of the Beachport products are our use of seagrass and kelp extracts and rumen protection from our chelated process.
As it stands, there has been a large focus recently on the research and development of a daily intake of both kelps and rumen protected amino acids in the livestock industry. A daily intake though is not suited to all regions and enterprises and doesn’t provide a long term, sustainable, environmental or cost effective solution to using kelps and seagrasses. However, we recognise for producers of feedlots and dairy’s that while costly, this could be seen as an interim solution to keeping the pressures of environmental impacts at bay.
At Beachport, we’re proud to say we’ve successfully mastered the process of protecting our liquid supplement from rumen degradation. The Beachport products have also been formulated to be as close to the liquid consistency in the small intestine, giving our natural plant derived electrolyte, Fulvic Acid maximum absorption capabilities. The innovative process used to formulate Beachport, and tackle rumen degradation head on allows our products to act in the same way as an injection, which is why one dose lasts for 6 weeks. The liquid concentrate also means animals don’t have to be yarded, as our products are dosed into the animals’ water supply in their paddocks, which reduces stress.
Our tried and tested formulation has allowed us to successfully combine chelated essential trace elements and naturally occurring amino acids derived from our seagrass liquid extract, all with rumen protection front of mind. And now, right across Australia and for almost 15 years our unique and innovative formulation has been proven to provide producers with a cost effective and simple solution to achieving feed conversion efficiency in both dry and green feeds.
Industry leaders, including nutritionists, now recognise that livestock don’t need protein, they need amino acids. Plus, the inclusion of rumen protected amino acids for livestock helps in both low and high protein diets, with positive effects also seen in both intensive and grass-fed livestock enterprises. Beachport’s versatility has been proven in a variety of on-farm trials across Australia over more than 15 years and with a range of different diets which we’re extremely proud of. And it goes without saying, that if by using rumen protected amino acids to improve production in a dairy cow, then it is obvious the results in a beef cow are going to improve weight gain in her offspring too.
“The dairy cow does not have a protein requirement but rather requires amino acids from which protein is built. Any protein that is fed to the cow is broken down into amino acids, which are then utilized by the cow to meet her nutrient needs.”
Ryan Ordway Nutritionis & Technical Services Specialist
Balchem Corporation Published 18 May 2012
The poultry and pig industries have successfully used identified amino acids for many years to improve all facets of production, which has given huge impetus to suggest the use of amino acids in cattle and sheep nutrition would have similar success. From day one, Beachport have believed there is a definite correlation between amino acids and trace elements and is the reason why we have always used seagrass as our source of naturally occurring amino acids.
Seagrass has a higher amino acid content than Lucerne and has the closest amino acid profile to Lucerne of all sea-based species. For us, to be able to use the natural ratio of amino acids in the extracted form is a proven case of nature knows best. At Beachport we are always striving to provide exceptional products and over the last twelve months, our team have made a considerable improvement to our liquid seagrass extraction process, lifting the percentages of amino acids, and their availability in our Beachport products and boy we can tell you, we’re excited!
“The ruminant animals derive their amino acids supply jointly from dietary protein which escapes rumen degradation and microbial protein synthesized in the rumen. The amount of protein and amino acids that escape rumen degradation vary greatly among different feeds, depending on their solubility and their rate of passage to the small intestine. Microbial protein synthesis, however, is regulated by the quantity of plant organic matter fermented in the rumen, provided that ammonia concentrations and mineral elements are not limiting.”
(Kaufman and Lupping, 1982)
“It is often the case in some situations that animals’ requirements for amino acids are not fully met from normal sources of dietary protein. Rapid and extensive degradation of valuable protein’s in the rumen lead research to develop the concept of protein protection from ruminal degradation with the principal object of enhancing the supply of essential amino acids to the productive animal and reduction of nitrogen losses as urea in the urine.”
(Annison EF,1981. The role of protein which escapes ruminal degradation. Recent Advances in Animal Nutrition in Australia. University of New England Publishing Unit.)
Today, our industry is receiving a huge amount of publicity and hype around “methane reduction,” by both environmentalists and political lobby groups. The use of kelps and sea weeds for nutritional benefit to livestock, grouped with methane reduction is now even being pushed by the MLA and politicians across the world. We have to admit it is satisfying that after all these years the concept and our foundations that we have wholeheartedly believed in are now being backed by industry leaders, and is gaining traction in the conversation around methane reduction and climate change. Our focus though remains on the livestock producer and continuing to provide a cost effective, sustainable solution to livestock supplementation, all while increasing production, feed conversion and the bottom line. Anything else, is a bonus.
A new era for livestock production is upon us and after almost 15 years, I can confidently say, that our ongoing developments of the Beachport products allow us to continue to provide producers and our industry, with improved production and results. But also ensures Australian livestock enterprises are leading the way with sustainable production and are recognised by our city cousins as responsible world leaders in food production.
Written by
Kym Sutherland //
Owner & Founder of Beachport Liquid Minerals
Need a little more info, or have some questions? We’d love to help! Please get in touch with Kym by calling the Beachport head office on (08) 8725 4668.