RUMEN PROTECTED AMINO-ACIDS FOR DAIRY-CATTLE - WHAT IS THE FUTURE

The use of rumen-protected amino acids (RPAA) will be limited to a few dietary conditions unless an increase in the cost of supplemental pro tein sources or legislative action to restrict and/or tax and/or regul ate N excretions from dairy cows leads to the need to reduce dietary p rotein inputs, However, increases in costs of supplemental protein sou rces and/or legislative regulation of N excretion could lead to widesp read use of RPAA in dairy cattle diets, Selection of RPAA products by dairy producers should be based on the effectiveness of the product at escaping the rumen intact and releasing absorbable AA in the intestin e. However due to the complexity of accurately predicting metabolic re quirements for specific amino acids, the level of technical support of fered by the marketer of the RPAA products will be a critical factor t o successful, and cost effective, use of RPAA.