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Supplement Use in the Victorian Dairy Industry
. | Dry matter (%) | Metabolisable energy (MJ/kgDM) | Crude protein (%) | Neutral detergent fibre (%) |
| Supplement Type | Average | Range | Average | Range | Average | Range | Average | Range |
| Barley grain | 88.7 | (81.2-97.0) | 12.3 | (8.6 -13.5) | 10.8 | (6.3 -19.0) | 20.0 | (14.0 -36.1) |
| Brewer's grain | 28.2 | (13.9-60.6) | 10.8 | (8.3 -14.0) | 21.6 | (9.8 -28.8) | 55.1 | (41.6 -61.6) |
| Canola meal | 90.5 | (87.4-93.5) | 12.1 | (9.8 -15.8) | 37.5 | (27.4 -42.1) | 30.5 | (26.7 -35.2) |
| Carrot pulp | 10.0 | (8.0-15.5) | 12.7 | (8.8 -14.2) | 9.8 | (6.5 -15.3) | 27.6 | (26.1 -29.1) |
| Citrus pulp | 14.3 | (10.6-17.3) | 12.9 | (9.6 -14.5) | 8.6 | (6.0 -11.9) | 25.1 | (17.9 -34.1) |
| Cottonseed meal | 89.8 | (87.5-95.3) | 11.1 | (9.6 -12.7) | 43.5 | (39.5 -48.0) | 30.9 | (21.0 -38.7) |
| Grape marc | 55.1 | (19.6-93.9) | 6.3 | (2.3 -12.1) | 12.1 | (5.4 -17.2) | 47.1 | (20.3 -60.6) |
| Lupin seed | 91.6 | (86.1-95.5) | 12.6 | (11.2 -14.9) | 32.0 | (21.3 -43.2) | 23.1 | (8.8 -28.9) |
| Maize grain | 84.2 | (60.3-96.4) | 13.8 | (12.3 -14.9) | 10.0 | (7.3 -21.9) | 9.4 | (6.7 -12.8) |
| Oats | 91.1 | (80.0-93.3) | 10.3 | (5.9 -14.2) | 9.0 | (4.0 -15.4) | 28.7 | (22.0 -34.5) |
| Potato by-product | 19.9 | - | 13.7 | (10.6 -18.7) | 10.7 | (5.7 -25.8) | 15.3 | (2.9 -37.4) |
| Rice bran | 90.4 | (89.9 -90.8) | 13.9 | (9.3 -15.1) | 15.5 | (12.9 -19.6) | 24.4 | (19.7 -30.2) |
| Sorghum grain | 89.6 | (86.2 -94.4) | 13.3 | (12.5 -14.4) | 10.6 | (9.6 -13.2) | 7.5 | (7.4 -7.6) |
| Soyabean meal | 85.4 | (11.9 -93.7) | 14.9 | (13.3 -16.2) | 43.5 | (29.3 -53.7) | 31.5 | (21.7 -47.7) |
| Sunflower meal | 90.8 | (86.4 -92.0) | 9.9 | (8.4 -14.0) | 34.1 | (20.4 -39.1) | 44.4 | (38.0 -50.2) |
| Tomato pulp | 27.3 | (16.6 -30.2) | 7.7 | (4.1 -9.3) | 19.4 | (5.0 -22.6) | 58.8 | (58.8 -58.8) |
| Triticale grain | 89.4 | (80.3 -96.9) | 13.0 | (11.6 -13.5) | 11.4 | (6.6 -18.8) | 15.0 | (10.8 -23.3) |
| Turnip tops* | 29.1 | (8.5 -87.7) | 13.4 | (10.7 -14.5) | 15.9 | (7.2 -29.6) | 23.2 | (19.1 -33.5) |
| Turnip bulbs* | 23.7 | (4.7 -87.4) | 13.9 | (11.7 -14.8) | 14.8 | (4.6 -26.7) | 21.5 | (14.3 -34.3) |
| Wheat grain | 89.4 | (80.2 -92.9) | 13.1 | (10.5 -14.1) | 12.9 | (7.4 -22.7) | 12.1 | (8.5 -24.2) |
| Wheat bran | 34.0 | (15.1 -89.6) | 12.0 | (10.9 -13.2) | 17.9 | (8.4 -29.8) | 36.5 | (33.7 -39.5) |
| Whey | 7.5 | (2.1 -27.4) | 13.6 | (12.3 -14.1) | 30.1 | (18.6 -40.3) | - | - |
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Forage Supplements
| Dry matter (%) | Metabolisable energy (MJ/kgDM) | Crude protein (%) | Neutral detergent fibre (%) |
| Supplement Type | Average | Range | Average | Range | Average | Range | Average | Range |
| Barley silage | 39.0 | (20.9 -64.3) | 9.1 | (5.5 -11.5) | 10.7 | (5.5 -22.9) | 60.8 | (44.5 -68.9) |
| Barley hay | 87.0 | (66.1 -93.7) | 8.8 | (4.2 -11.2) | 8.2 | (1.2 -14.6) | 57.8 | (42.0 -86.6) |
| Barley straw | 89.3 | (73.4 -93.6) | 6.5 | (2.2 -8.5) | 2.8 | (0.2 -28.8) | 76.5 | (54.7 -87.3) |
| Clover silage (generic) | 41.9 | (20.9 -79.5) | 9.6 | (8.1 -10.6) | 19.3 | (12.4 -27.2) | 46.3 | (38.6 -56.1) |
| Clover hay (generic) | 86.6 | (61.3 -93.2) | 8.9 | (6.2 -11.2) | 17.6 | (6.3 -26.1) | 46.9 | (33.2 -72.2) |
| Grass silage | 43.2 | (17.1 -89.3) | 9.3 | (4.8 -12.0) | 13.2 | (5.1 -26.6) | 58.5 | (39.7 -77.8) |
| Grass hay | 86.3 | (51.9 -94.0) | 8.0 | (4.9 -10.5) | 8.0 | (0.7 -17.7) | 66.7 | (43.3 -83.2) |
| Legume + grass mix silage (Leg. dom.) | 42.1 | (13.7 -68.3) | 9.4 | (5.9 -11.4) | 16.0 | (7.3 -28.6) | 50.8 | (28.6 -76.2) |
| Legume + grass mix hay (Leg. dom.) | 86.4 | (45.2 -95.9) | 8.8 | (5.2 -11.4) | 14.5 | (4.1 -25.4) | 53.6 | (30.4 -78.4) |
| Lucerne silage | 49.5 | (15.8 -87.7) | 9.4 | (4.8 -10.9) | 20.0 | (5.3 -32.1) | 45.5 | (27.3 -63.7) |
| Lucerne hay | 87.8 | (36.0 -96.1) | 9.3 | (5.3 -11.3) | 18.9 | (5.7 -29.7) | 44.7 | (30.9 -67.0) |
| Lucerne straw | 86.1 | (68.2 -93.4) | 5.7 | (4.3 -6.8) | 8.9 | (5.9 -14.1) | 66.5 | (64.7 -68.0) |
| Maize silage | 30.9 | (9.2 -84.5) | 10.6 | (5.0 -13.0) | 7.7 | (3.4 -17.1) | 48.2 | (36.4 -67.1) |
| Oaten silage | 40.9 | (18.1 -82.2) | 8.7 | (5.9 -11.2) | 9.8 | (3.8 -19.4) | 59.9 | (39.5 -75.3) |
| Oaten hay | 88.9 | (40.2 -96.4) | 8.4 | (4.5 -11.3) | 6.9 | (1.1 -16.3) | 59.3 | (41.1 -83.6) |
| Oaten straw | 89.4 | (80.2 -93.8) | 6.2 | (4.3 -10.0) | 2.8 | (0.1 -11.9) | 73.3 | (54.5 -78.8) |
| Pasture silage | 43.1 | (10.9 -87.6) | 9.4 | (2.2 -11.8) | 14.1 | (3.2 -27.3) | 56.5 | (31.8 -79.5) |
| Pasture hay | 86.2 | (48.6 -95.5) | 8.4 | (5.3 -11.2) | 10.8 | (1.7 -30.0) | 63.0 | (36.8 -81.7) |
| Persian clover silage | 42.9 | (23.7 -81.9) | 9.9 | (8.2 -11.2) | 17.6 | (8.0 -23.4) | 47.6 | (34.7 -60.0) |
| Persian clover hay | 85.6 | (67.8 -93.5) | 9.6 | (7.0 -11.7) | 16.2 | (5.3 -23.3) | 43.4 | (32.6 -66.8) |
| Rice straw | 85.2 | (52.2 -93.5) | 6.7 | (5.3 -8.9) | 4.0 | (1.9 -5.0) | 63.4 | (53.4 -68.5) |
| Subclover silage | 37.1 | (20.6 -59.9) | 9.5 | (5.2 -10.5) | 18.8 | (12.6 -26.9) | 45.6 | (30.6 -59.2) |
| Subclover hay | 86.8 | (71.7 -93.9) | 8.8 | (6.5 -10.6) | 17.2 | (7.7 -25.7) | 47.3 | (33.1 -71.0) |
| Triticale silage | 42.9 | (20.1 -71.0) | 9.1 | (7.1 -11.2) | 10.8 | (4.0 -24.0) | 57.9 | (41.4 -70.2) |
| Triticale hay | 86.6 | (54.3 -93.9) | 8.6 | (4.8 -10.7) | 7.3 | (1.3 -16.2) | 55.7 | (40.5 -73.0) |
| Triticale straw | 89.8 | (62.7 -95.7) | 6.2 | (4.1 -9.0) | 2.8 | (0.7 -6.7) | 67.3 | (50.1 -86.5) |
| Wheat silage | 44.9 | (27.5 -69.1) | 8.8 | (4.6 -10.7) | 10.0 | (6.5 -16.0) | 55.5 | (47.7 -63.4) |
| Wheat hay | 87.9 | (46.8 -95.1) | 8.7 | (4.9 -11.0) | 8.2 | (0.1 -17.4) | 52.8 | (37.3 -79.4) |
| Wheat straw | 92.4 | (64.7 -96.7) | 5.1 | (3.8 -9.3) | 2.8 | (0.2 -8.8) | 73.0 | (53.6 -86.2) |
For the number of entries used to generate these results & standard deviations (see PDF file below)
* Data sourced from Jacobs et al. 2001, Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, 743-751
This list of supplements was compiled by the Department of Primary Industries, Research and Development Division, and is a component of the Diet Check program. The information was provided by FEEDTEST, DPI Hamilton and is limited to estimates of dry matter, metabolisable energy, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre for commonly used supplements in the dairy industry which were analysed between 1996 and 2001.
For further information contact the DPI Kyabram on (03) 5852 0500 or FEEDTEST, DPI Hamilton on (03) 5573 0910.
We acknowledge the financial support provided by the Geoffrey Gardiner Dairy Foundation (external link).
To view the attached PDF you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. A free copy can be downloaded from Adobe Acrobat (external link).
 (PDF 67kb)
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Choosing a Supplement
The decision to use a certain supplement is determined by a combination of factors, including:
- What is the limiting nutrient in the cow's diet - energy, protein, fibre, or a combination?
- What supplements can you source?
- What is the nutritive composition of the supplement?
- How much does the supplement cost?
- Practical implications; e.g. facilities for storage and feeding, machinery for feeding out, labour requirements, reliability of supply etc.
- Any nutritional implications - how will the supplement affect the ration balance; could problems such as acidosis/tainting/toxicity arise?
Energy Supplements
Feeds with large quantities of starches and sugars (e.g., cereal grains and some by-product feeds) are used as energy supplements. Barley, triticale, wheat and oats are the most commonly fed cereal grains. Energy can also be supplied by commercial concentrate pellets, specially formulated concentrate mixes, or by-products.
Protein-rich Supplements
These include urea, grain legumes, and animal and vegetable protein meals, eg. lupins, peas, fishmeal, soybean, safflower, canola, sunflower, and linseed.
Neutral Detergent Fibre Supplements
Neutral detergent fibre (NDF) is a measure of all the fibre (the digestible and indigestible parts) and indicates how bulky the feed is. Some of it is digested, and some is excreted. A high NDF might mean lower intake because of the bulk. Conversely, lower NDF values lead to higher intakes. Supplements high in NDF include straws and grass-based hays.
Metabolic Disorders and Unbalanced Diets
Metabolic disorders can be clinical, when there are obvious symptoms, or sub-clinical, when there are not. Even at the sub-clinical level, they can depress feed intake and cause production losses. Metabolic disorders such as ketosis and acidosis are usually linked to low intakes around calving or to abrupt changes in diet. Managing nutrition well during the dry period and in early lactation is the key to preventing or minimising the occurrence of metabolic disorders.
The aim is to:
- Maximise nutrient intake around calving and in early lactation by providing enough high quality feed
- Avoid decreases in intake caused by sudden changes in diet when cows calve and join the milking herd.
- Nutritional management at this time also plays a major role in minimising milk fever and grass tetany.
Metabolic diseases include;
- Milk fever
- Grass tetany
- Ketosis, or acetonaemia
- Lactic acidosis
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