Highly Palatable Source of Chloride Ion For Close-up Dry Cows

The purpose of feeding anionic supplements and balancing dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) is to develop a state of mild, compensated metabolic acidosis in the pre-fresh cow, which will improve her calcium status at calving. This condition is characterized by pre-calving urine pH readings between 6.0 and 6.8. Such acidification of the cow can be accomplished by supplementing the diet with chloride and/or sulfate anions. Chloride has been demonstrated to be 1.6 times more potent than sulfate for acidifying the cow’s blood and urine. All of the supplemental anions in SoyChlor are chloride.

The “first generation”, traditional anionic supplements were noted for reducing feed intake due to poor palatability. SoyChlor has long been recognized for its acceptance by cows, either when incorporated into a grain mix, or mixed into or top-dressed onto a TMR. As the “new generation” anionic supplement, SoyChlor is manufactured using a novel, wet dissolution process. This process allows soluble chloride ions to absorb into the palatable carrier ingredients, dispersing the chloride at the molecular level. No granules or prills are present to initiate a feed rejection response.

Inadequate blood magnesium can disrupt the cow’s ability to maintain normal blood calcium levels, even when DCAD has been properly adjusted and the correct state of metabolic acidosis has been achieved. The supplemental magnesium and calcium in SoyChlor are in a very bioavailable form, reducing the need for other sources of supplemental magnesium and calcium.

The physical properties and DCAD “strength” of SoyChlor makes it the supplement of choice for both feed mills and farms. Particles size and density that is similar to most other concentrate ingredients helps ensure thorough mixing and uniform distribution, without separation during handling or sorting at the feed bunk.

Potassium and sodium are cations that induce alkalosis (the opposite of what we are trying to do with DCAD) in the pre-fresh cow, and both are implicated as risk factors for milk fever and udder edema. SoyChlor is very low in potassium and sodium, complementing the selection of low potassium and sodium feedstuffs to create low DCAD levels in close-up diets.

The protein component of SoyChlor is high quality, real, pre-formed, useable protein for the cow. Coming from grain co-products and SoyPlus® high bypass soybean meal, the majority of protein in SoyChlor is ready for digestion without the need for assimilation into microbial protein in the rumen. This is especially helpful with “high straw” or “controlled energy” pre-fresh diets, which may lack sufficient fermentable carbohydrate to allow rumen microbes to utilize non-protein nitrogen (NPN).