Bypass protein technology: A review

Feeding accounts for a major portion of the costs incurred on milk production. Imbalanced ration and scarcity of feed are two of the many factors limiting the productivity of dairy animals. The inefficient utilization of expensive feed resources, especially proteins adds to the cost of milk production. The fermentation of proteins in the rumen before enzymatic digestion results in lower efficiency in utilization of proteins. High yielding animals require higher proportion of nutrients in the diet that bypass the rumen without degradation to supply the necessary amino acids at the intestinal level. Bypass proteins may be provided in the diet of ruminants through feed ingredients containing proteins with a higher bypass value. Alternatively, physical or chemical treatment of protein sources which contain low bypass value. Protected protein supplements must provide roughly 70% of the protein in undegradable form. Eighty percent of the un-degradable protein must be digestible in the intestine of the animals. Bypass feed technology is particularly relevant to the animals reared in tropical climate. It is a relatively cheap method of providing high quality protein for animals, increases the availability of essential amino acids in diet, improves milk production, improves fat and SNF percentage in milk and improves the growth of young animals.