In the field of dairy production and cattle rearing, there are many challenges that limit the production ability of the cattle and pose serious health risks to the animals as well as the consumers. This blog will specifically guide you how Feed Grade Calcium Propionate can help combat these challenges and improve production.

What are the challenges?

In regions with really hot climate, animal feed is susceptible to mold and bacterial growth (mildew in particular), which results in production of mycotoxins in the body and can lead to serious health conditions which can be passed on to potential consumers.

Dairy cows face diseases like hypocalcemia (shortage of calcium in the body) during lactation as well as ketosis and fatty liver due to a negative energy balance (NEB) during perinatal period.

How does Calcium Propionate help?

Calcium Propionate is used as a preservative in food and animal feed which increases their shelf life and prevents mold development. For a better preservation effect, Calcium Propionate needs an acidic environment, which is taken care of since animal feed has a pH of 6 or less. For the best results, dissolve 15-17 grams of calcium propionate per liter of water to be sprayed onto 100 sq. meter of feed.

Adding Calcium Propionate to feed also helps in treating Ketosis in cattle. Calcium Propionate helps in raising calcium and glucose levels in the cattle and greatly increases digestive ability. During lactation, cows can potentially become hypocalcemic (also known as Milk Fever), which is a condition where the animal has less than required levels of calcium in the bloodstream, thus lowering milk production and quality. To treat these conditions, it is recommended that 225 grams of calcium propionate must be fed to each adult animal daily until the symptoms alleviate.

Thus we can conclude that the use of Calcium Propionate in cattle is highly beneficial and raises production levels that greatly increase profitability.