E575 A 400-Cow Herd Loses $27,800 a Year to Ketosis – Then Pays Twice for “Rumen-Protected” Additives That Never Reach the Cow

A 400-cow herd loses up to $27,800 a year to subclinical ketosis — then pays again for "rumen-protected" additives that may never reach the cow.That second loss is the one nobody tracks. The Bullvine Podcast breaks down why "rumen-protected" is a label with a definition but no delivery threshold behind it — under both AAFCO and CFIA. At a 24.1% ketosis rate, the disease math is brutal enough. Add additives that degrade in the rumen, and you're paying program prices to feed your manure pit. Here's the one number to demand before you sign the next mill sheet.What You'll LearnWhy a 400-cow herd quietly writes off $12,400–$27,800 a year before any cow looks sickHow "rumen-protected" passes legally with zero proof of intestinal deliveryThe cost-per-gram-absorbed math that flips the cheap-bag decision in 30 secondsWhy 25% delivery means feeding 51.6 grams to land what 75% delivery hits with 17.2The exact question to ask your nutritionist — and how to grade the answerWhy the same science pays off differently in Wisconsin than in OntarioRaw choline chloride degrades in the rumen at rates above 99%, so protection technology — not the active ingredient — decides whether your money works. The Arshad 2020 meta-analysis (21 trials, 1,313 cows) shows real choline gains: +3.5 lbs/day of milk at a 12.9 g/day dose. But none of that lands if the product never reaches the cow. The fix costs nothing but the nerve to ask one question your supplier may not want to answer.Full article and sources: https://www.thebullvine.com/farm-economics-management/rumen-protected-choline-delivery-rate/ Subscribe for straight-talking dairy analysis. Share this with a producer who needs it.