Progut® Extra for dairy cows. Danish Family Farm’s Experience

In the world of dairy farming, the quest to elevate milk production while enhancing feed efficiency remains an ongoing challenge. As farmers strive to improve milk yields, they explore various avenues to optimize their animals’ nutrition. During last couple years a Danish family farm had improved the average energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield of dairy cows from 9,000 kg to 10,500 kg. Discover how Progut® Extra, the patented yeast hydrolysate increased dairy cows´ production to an even higher level and improved feed efficiency.

Farm management

In a Danish family farm, where Progut® Extra trial conducted, the focus on enhancing milk production has been paramount, particularly following the noticeable increase in energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield over recent years. The management’s emphasis on feeding strategies has led to high-producing animals with excellent welfare standards. A shift towards attentive feeding management has involved continuous adaptations to feeding plans and frequent efficacy calculations, affirming the farm’s commitment to optimizing dairy output.

We now put much more focus on our feeding. We continuously adapt the feeding plan and keep ourselves up to date with frequent “feeding control” efficacy calculations

Jim Boe Olesen, farm owner

Farm trial design

The farm trial was conducted in the beginning of year 2023 during three months. Farm trial included 103 primi- and multiparous Holstein cows. The average ECM production in the farm was 10 500 kg ECM. Farm trial, structured as an on-off experiment, featured three consecutive four-week periods.

During the intermediate (test) period, cows received test treatment including basal diet and 10 g/cow/day Progut® Extra mixed with minerals. Before and after the test period cows received basal diet and the average results from these control periods were compared to those of test period. Each period included three weeks adaptation with results collected during the fourth week. The basal diet consisted of maize silage, grass silage, barley, corn, fodder beet, protein concentrate, protected fat, and minerals.

Key findings of the trial:

• Better Milk Yield: Progut® Extra significantly enhanced energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield by an average + 1.3 kg/cow/day

• Improved Milk Quality: Progut® Extra increased milk fat content + 0.13%

• Boosted Feed Efficiency: The inclusion of Progut® Extra improved FE + 4%, as per the farm’s routine feeding calculations.

• Increased ROI: The calculated return on investment (ROI) for Progut® Extra during the trial period amounted to 12.6

In this trial at a Danish family farm, Progut® Extra exhibited its effectiveness across different milk yield ranges, enhanced milk production and milk quality, and optimized feed efficiency and ROI. Progut® Extra unique hydrolysis process releases high amounts of bioactive molecular structures, fostering increased microbial biomass and volatile fatty acid production, ultimately contributing to improved milk yield and enhanced feed efficiency. With natural feed innovation Progut® Extra it is possible to improve the milk production and feed efficiency in commercial farms.

Progut® Extra – A Natural Molecular Key to​ Enhanced Rumen Fermentation and Performance

Progut® Extra is produced by unique acid hydrolysis process in high temperature which breaks down the yeast cell and releases high amount of bioactive molecular structures. This controlled process results in a homogenous product with consistent performance effect

Due to hydrolysis, Progut® Extra contains 9 times more soluble polysaccharides and oligosaccharides than the deactivated yeast raw material.

The bioactive molecular structures of Progut® Extra have increased microbial biomass and VFA production in more than 25 rumen simulation trials. They stimulate the growth of dominant microbes during different phases of fermentation resulting consistently in increased propionate production, higher milk yield and improved feed efficiency, with different diets and feeding densities.