Yeast feeding cows, the importance of beer yeast for cows

      Beer yeast, as a natural fermentation byproduct, is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and functional components. When used as a feed additive or nutritional supplement in cattle farming, it can bring various benefits, especially suitable for the physiological needs and production goals of cattle (ruminants). The following provides a detailed explanation of its specific benefits from four core dimensions: nutritional supplementation, digestive health, productivity, immunity, and metabolism

1、 Core Nutritional Supplementation: Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Cattle at Different Stages

      The nutritional composition of beer yeast is balanced and of high quality, which can compensate for the nutritional shortcomings of conventional feed such as corn and silage, especially suitable for key stages of cattle such as calves, lactating cows, and fattening cows.

High quality protein source promotes growth and milk production

      The crude protein content of beer yeast is as high as 40% -50%, and the amino acid composition is reasonable - rich in essential amino acids that cattle cannot synthesize themselves (such as lysine, methionine, tryptophan), which are key raw materials for muscle growth and milk protein synthesis.

      For calves: Supplementing with beer yeast after weaning can promote muscle and visceral organ development, and reduce growth retardation caused by protein deficiency;

      For lactating cows: The synthesis of milk protein relies on sufficient amino acids. Supplementing beer yeast can increase the protein content in milk (about 0.1% -0.3%), while alleviating the "negative nitrogen balance" during lactation (protein consumption exceeds intake) and prolonging the peak lactation period;

      For fattening cattle: Protein can promote muscle deposition, reduce excessive fat accumulation, enhance beef tenderness and protein content, and improve meat quality.

Enrich B vitamins, regulate metabolism and physiological functions

      Beer yeast is a natural treasure trove of B vitamins, including vitamins B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B12 (cobalamin), etc. These vitamins are essential enzymes for energy metabolism (carbohydrate and fat breakdown for energy) and physiological activities in cattle

      Vitamin B12: participates in the metabolism of rumen microorganisms, helps ruminants utilize cellulose, while maintaining neurological health and reducing calf neuropathy and adult cattle motility disorders;

      Niacin (B3): can alleviate "ketosis" (metabolic disease caused by insufficient energy during lactation) in lactating cows, promote fat breakdown for energy supply, and reduce the accumulation of ketone bodies in the body;

      Riboflavin (B2): improves the skin and fur status of cattle, reduces hair loss and dandruff, and enhances the immunity of calves.

Supplementing trace elements to prevent nutritional deficiencies

      Beer yeast contains trace elements such as selenium, zinc, iron, manganese, etc., and they mostly exist in an "organic state" (such as yeast selenium and yeast zinc), which are more easily absorbed and utilized by cows than inorganic trace elements added to feed (such as zinc sulfate):

      Selenium: synergizes with vitamin E to enhance the antioxidant capacity of cattle, prevent "white muscle disease" (calf muscle necrosis) and reproductive disorders in adult cattle;

      Zinc: promotes the repair of the digestive tract mucosa in cattle, reduces diarrhea, and enhances the sperm vitality of bulls;

      Iron: prevent iron deficiency anemia in calves, improve their mental state and feed intake.

2、 Improving digestive function: Adapting to rumen characteristics of ruminants to enhance feed utilization efficiency

      As ruminants, the digestive ability of cows depends on the balance of microbial communities in the rumen. The active yeast (such as brewing yeast) and enzymes (amylase, protease, cellulase) in beer yeast can directly act on the rumen, optimizing the digestive environment:

Regulate rumen microbiota and inhibit harmful bacteria

      After entering the rumen, active yeast can inhibit the proliferation of harmful bacteria (such as toxin producing clostridia and Escherichia coli) through "competition for nutrients" and "secretion of antibacterial substances", while promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria (such as cellulolytic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria), maintaining a stable pH value in the rumen (avoiding "rumen acidosis" caused by excessive concentrate).

      For fattening cattle fed with high-precision feed: it can reduce the accumulation of lactic acid in the rumen, lower the incidence of bloating and diarrhea;

      For cattle fed with silage: Relieve the mild toxins that may be produced during the fermentation process of silage and stimulate the rumen.

Secreting digestive enzymes to improve feed conversion rate

      The amylase and protease contained in beer yeast can assist in the breakdown of starch and protein in feed, while cellulase can help break down crude fiber in silage and hay - ultimately improving the digestion and absorption rate of cattle to feed and reducing the waste of undigested nutrients in feces.

      In practice, adding beer yeast can reduce the "feed to meat ratio" of fattening cattle by 5% -8% (i.e. reduce the required feed per kilogram of weight gain), improve the "feed to milk ratio" of lactating cattle by 3% -5%, and significantly reduce breeding costs.

Improve palatability and promote feed intake

      Beer yeast has a natural fermentation aroma, which can mask the odor of some feed (such as inferior silage and drug additives) and enhance the palatability of the feed. Especially during the stress period of cattle (such as herd switching, sudden weather changes, postpartum), feed intake is prone to decrease. Supplementing with beer yeast can help cattle maintain normal feed intake and reduce nutrient loss caused by stress.

3、 Improving production performance: targeted optimization of lactation, fattening, and reproductive effects

      The nutritional and functional characteristics of beer yeast can be directly converted into the production benefits of cattle, which is a key auxiliary means of "improving quality and efficiency" in aquaculture:

      Lactating cows: increase milk production and improve milk quality

      In addition to supplementing protein and B vitamins to promote milk protein synthesis, organic selenium in beer yeast can also enter milk, enhancing the added value of "selenium rich milk"; At the same time, its role in regulating rumen function can reduce milk production fluctuations caused by digestive problems in lactating cows, prolong the peak milk production period by 1-2 months, and increase the annual milk production of a single cow by 100-200 kilograms.

      Fattening Cattle: Accelerating Weight Gain and Improving Meat Quality

      High quality protein promotes muscle deposition, B vitamins accelerate energy metabolism, and combined with improved feed utilization, the daily weight gain of fattening cattle can be increased by 8% -12% (such as from 0.8 kg/day to 0.9 kg/day), and the slaughter time can be advanced by 15-20 days; In addition, antioxidants in beer yeast, such as glutathione, can reduce fat oxidation in beef, prolong the shelf life of slaughtered meat, and reduce the incidence of "yellow fat meat".

      Breeding cattle: improving reproductive performance and reducing reproductive barriers

      For cows: Adequate B vitamins (especially B12) and selenium can regulate endocrine function, promote follicular development, improve estrus uniformity and pregnancy rate, and reduce miscarriage and stillbirth caused by malnutrition;

      For bulls: Zinc and protein can increase sperm density and vitality, reduce the proportion of malformed sperm, and improve mating effectiveness.

4、 Enhance immunity and stress resistance: reduce disease occurrence and lower breeding risks

      Functional components in beer yeast, such as yeast cell walls and active polysaccharides, can stimulate the immune system of cows and help alleviate stress reactions, reducing losses caused by disease or stress

      Activate the immune system and enhance disease resistance

      The cell wall components of beer yeast, such as β - glucan and mannan oligosaccharides, are natural immune enhancers:

      β - glucan: can activate immune cells such as macrophages and lymphocytes in cattle, enhance their ability to engulf pathogens (such as bacteria and viruses), and reduce the incidence of respiratory diseases (such as bovine infectious rhinotracheitis) and digestive diseases (such as calf diarrhea);

      Mannan oligosaccharides: can bind with harmful bacteria in the intestine (such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella), preventing them from adhering to the intestinal mucosa and reducing intestinal infections.

      Relieve stress reactions and maintain physiological stability

      Cattle produce a large amount of "stress hormones" (such as cortisol) in their bodies during stress states such as herd switching, transportation, sudden temperature changes, and vaccination, leading to a decrease in immunity and food intake. The B vitamins (involved in energy metabolism) and selenium (antioxidant) in beer yeast can help cows quickly restore energy balance, reduce the damage of stress hormones to the body, and reduce the risk of disease during the stress period.

5、 Precautions for use (supplementary assistance to ensure effectiveness)

      Although beer yeast has significant benefits, it needs to be used scientifically to avoid waste or side effects:

      Control dosage: As an additive, it generally accounts for 1% -3% of the diet (such as adding 50-150 grams per cow per day). Excessive dosage may lead to an imbalance of rumen microbiota and cause bloating;

      Choose high-quality products: avoid using spoiled or moldy beer yeast (which may contain aflatoxins), and prioritize drying and inactivating yeast powder (which has more stable activity and is easy to store);

      Combination use: Beer yeast is a "nutritional supplement" and cannot replace full price feed. It needs to be used in combination with silage, concentrate, hay, etc. to achieve the best effect.

      In summary, the benefits of using beer yeast to feed cattle run through the entire chain of "nutrition digestion production health", especially suitable for large-scale or family farms that pursue green breeding and improve quality and efficiency. It is a low-cost and cost-effective natural feed resource.