YEAST
More Than Bread and Beer
Yeast plays a significant role in bread making, beer and wine production, and many other day-to-day applications the consumer is aware of. Lesser known are the beneficial roles yeast plays in milk production and rumen health.
The most common yeast species is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. S cerevisiae is used in Rumen Calm and CALFMAX, our two main yeast products. The yeast in CALFMAX is also hydrolysed increasing immunity and nutritional benefits. The difference between these two I’ll explain shortly.
Though yeast cells themselves aid in fibre and carbohydrate digestion and metabolism (nutrient utilization), the cell wall also has benefits to rumen health. The yeast cell wall is a complex structure with large absorption capacity. The outermost layer of the wall is comprised of mannoproteins, commonly known as MOS and well known for absorption of toxins and infectious agents such as Salmonella and E. coli. The inner layers of the cell wall comprise beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are insoluble and indigestible, but stimulate the immune system and strengthen the animal’s response to pathogens.
Yeast culture, as used in Rumen Calm, contains not only yeast cells, but culture media on which the yeast was grown. The culture provides biological activity, that affect rumen microbes and how they interact with feed ingredients and nutrients.
Hydrolysed yeast, as used in CALFMAX, has been ‘soaked’ in water to breakdown cell walls making both MOS and Beta-glucan more available and helpful for immune function and pathogen protection. We have now added a third yeast product to our range using hydrolysed yeast in Rumen Calm especially for periods of challenge to cows such as calving. We recommend Rumen Calm Plus in Lead Feeds for obvious benefits in disease management reducing uterine infection and mastitis particularly.
Yeast cultures provide nutrients to the rumen that aid in rumen health and digestion; fibre digestion especially. We have successfully used Rumen Calm in high grain feeding rates (8 kgs) with no other buffering in over 10,000 cows during 2014 and noticed improved manure structure indicative of both improved fibre digestion and sound rumen pH. Numerous peer-reviewed studies have been published yielding positive results from feeding yeast culture to cows across all stages of lactation. Research has shown adding yeast culture to dairy rations improves feed intake, boosts fibre digestion and nitrogen utilization. Due to very large amounts of nitrogen in grazing based systems (and silage), we added yucca in Rumen Calm to further manage excess rumen ammonia, a cause of energy wastage and alkaline uterus/fertility issues.
Dairytech Nutrition Admin / Sales Tina: 0400 991 814