At a glance: Not every fat reaches the intestine in the same form it was fed. Microbes in the rumen alter fatty acids—a process that affects milk fat and performance. Rumen-protected fats specifically bypass this process.
The rumen alters fats
When a cow consumes unprotected fats, they are altered by microbes in the rumen. Unsaturated fatty acids are converted into saturated ones—a process known as biohydrogenation.
The problem: This conversion creates intermediate products (trans fatty acids) that can inhibit milk fat synthesis in the udder. The result: declining milk fat content.
Why this is important in practice
Feeding large quantities of unprotected vegetable oils or oilseeds risks:
- Milk fat depression caused by trans fatty acids
- Disruption of the rumen flora (reduced fiber digestion)
- Lower feed intake
- Less available energy in the small intestine
The solution: Rumen-protected fats
Rumen-protected fats pass through the rumen unchanged. They are only digested in the small intestine—where they are needed as an energy source. The rumen flora remains undisturbed.
Advantages of rumen-protected fats
- No disruption of the rumen flora
- High energy concentration
- No displacement of forage
- No milk fat depression
- Targeted digestion in the small intestine
- Stable fiber digestion
How do fats become rumen-protected?
There are various ways to make fats rumen-protected. BEWITAL agri uses the spray-cooling process: vegetable fats are atomized into extremely fine particles and frozen immediately. The result is high-purity, finely crystalline fat powders with high rumen stability and, at the same time, high digestibility in the small intestine.
In contrast to calcium soaps or prills, spray-cooled fats offer a significantly larger surface area—and thus better utilization.
Practical tip
BEWI-SPRAY® fat powders are rumen-protected and highly digestible—the ideal energy source for dairy cows in all phases of lactation.