Glycopass

GlycoPass is a source of rumen protected glycerine.

When added to the diets of dairy cows and beef cattle it increases blood glucose levels, improving herd performance and daily liveweight gain.

Dairy Cow Benefits

Higher conception rates.
Increased dry matter intakes.
Increased yield and milk components.

Beef Cattle Benefits

Increased dry matter intakes.
Improved daily liveweight gain.

Feeding GlycoPass in the ration will promote blood glucose levels increasing herd fertility and overall herd health due to the animal having an improved immune system without impacting on milk production. Focusing on glucose supply in early lactation will reduce negative energy balance and help with immune challenges post calving.

GlycoPass can be added to a TMR on farm, or included in compound feed or blends.

Product Information

GlycoPass – Rumen Bypass Glycerine

Transition/High Yielding Cows In early lactation, negative energy balance will trigger mobilisation of body reserves – in particular, bodyfat. This leads to the liberation of beta-Hydroxybutrate (BHB) and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) into the bloodstream.

High blood BHB and NEFA levels are associated with:

Lower Dry Matter Intakes.
Lower Body Condition Score.
Increased risk of Ketosis and Fatty Liver Disease.
Lower conception rates and higher calving interval.
Depressed milk yields and lower milk solids.

GlycoPass is a source of rumen bypass glycerine providing high levels of glucogenic energy for the animal. GlycoPass escapes the rumen intact, passes into the lower gut and into the bloodstream, before entering the gluconeogenesis pathway creating glucose.

Role of GlycoPass

Provides a source of rumen bypass glycerine with the potential to improve blood glucose levels through gluconeogenesis, improving the ability of the animal to cope with energy shortages associated with low DMI and high energy demand that occurs post-parturition.

Presentation

Available as a slightly viscous liquid or a free-flowing meal.

Feeding Instructions

GlycoPass can be mixed into compound feeds, mixed into a TMR, top dressed onto silage or fed through a liquid dispenser.

Packaging

Liquid	IBCs
Meal	25kg bags

Case Studies

Herd fertility has always been above average at Drumport Holsteins near Lisburn, County Down. However, when pregnancy rate began to suffer slightly with increased yields, introducing “GlycoPass” significantly improved pregnancy rates from an average of 21% to a rolling 12-month figure of 26% and rising.

Alan Porter milks 250 Holstein cows, which calve all-year-round, with a current rolling herd average of 9,700 litres/cow/year. The aim of the herd is to produce high levels of quality milk as efficiently as possible with cow health and comfort a key component to achieving this. With this aim in mind Alan recently invested in four A5 Lely robots with increased cubicle numbers and feed space to help the cows achieve their potential.

With this investment in facilities, higher milk yields followed however, a pregnancy rate of 21% although well above the UK average, had fallen below previous levels and was beginning to become a concern. Along with our nutritionist we began to look again at the energy sources we were using in the ration and went ahead with introducing GlycoPass. This was a completely new product that we had not used before, but the research carried out in Holland along with other local trials in Northern Ireland convinced us to try it.

GlycoPass is a source of rumen-protected glycerine. Glycerine is a great source of glucose for a ruminant animal acting as a glucose precursor. However, a large proportion of this is degraded in the rumen. GlycoPass allows the majority of glycerine to bypass the rumen and enter the small intestine, where it can enter the gluconeogenesis pathway to create glucose. This increases the level of glucose in the bloodstream, therefore increasing conception rates.

The results at Drumport Holsteins prove this theory to be correct. With using Genus RMS all kinds of fertility information are recorded on the threeweek basis. The results since we began feeding GlycoPass speak for themselves. Pregnancy rate for the six months prior to introducing it were 23%. For the six months after it has been 30%! This has been achieved by an increase in conception rates from an already healthy 38% to an impressive 46% during the same six-month periods.

The cows are performing exceptionally well on the GlycoPass and our feed cost/litre has decreased due to our average days-in-milk falling with improved fertility. Milk constituents have also improved over the same period due to improved forage intakes and overall rumen and cow health.

Robert & David Wilson manage a 180 Pedigree Holstein Dairy Herd outside Ballymoney in North Antrim. Alongside the dairy unit they operate a successful contracting business, harvesting over 6000 acres of silage every season.

Over the past 5 years the decision was made to increase the herds output by ceasing to graze out. This has been due to adverse weather conditions in recent years. More focus has been placed into improving forage quality and cow management.

The herd is milked 2xDay through a 20:40 Pearson parlour. All feed is offered through the TMR with cows batched into a high yielding and low yielding group. Maintaining forage quality and batching cows according to yield and pregnancy status is fundamental to improving feed efficiency.

The calving pattern of the herd had been spread out historically with cows calving all year round.

The target is too move to an autumn and winter calving block to increase winter milk production but too also allow more time for the contracting business during the summer months.

Last Autumn GlycoPass was introduced to the diet. Conception rates increased from 34% to 48% resulting in a much tighter calving spread this autumn. With increased blood glucose levels, forage intakes also increased over the winter resulting in higher milk solids, 4.3% Butterfat and 3.48% Protein on a herd average of 32L!

This year the Autumn calving block is much larger than previous years due to the improved fertility.

GlycoPass has been offered at a rate of 0.4kg/ cow/day with very positive results.

“At a time of more downward pressure on milk price and farm income, GlycoPass has been the most influential component in improving our herd fertility. Last year the herd averaged 8700L with the prospect of increasing this year.”