Canadian Researchers Testing Camelina Meal in Dairy Rations
Camelina has been gaining interest as a feed ingredient for years, and now the research feedmill owned by the University of Saskatchewan Canadian Feed Research Center (CFRC) is conducting ration tests with dairy cattle to see if the inclusion of camelina in their diet can boost milk quality.
In January 2015, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) approved up to a 12% inclusion of a cold-pressed, non-solvent extracted camelina meal in broiler chicken feed based on CFRC research, and approval for its inclusion in laying hen rations is expected to be gained in the near future.
Camelina meal has an attractive fatty acid profile and is high in Omega-3 content, similar to flax. It also contains alpha linoleic acid and gondoic acid with a 14% fat content.
The test group is in its third month of testing with one rotation left, and so far there has been no instances of feed refusal. The next round will test feed with up to 20% camelina meal, and if all remains on schedule with the follow-up study, approval for camelina inclusion in dairy rations could be secured by early 2018. Looking forward camelina could also be used in beef rations and aquaculture feed mixes.
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