Zinpro IsoFerm now available to Thompsons’ Customers

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New and exclusive to Thompsons

Thompsons’ Technical Team explain how this new Isoacid product can fuel the rumen - By Feeding the Fibre Digesting Bacteria 

Available now from Thompsons and brought to our customers with our long-term performance partner, Zinpro. IsoFerm is an essential nutrient that enhances the natural fermentation process in the rumen and improves efficiency, increasing energy and microbial protein production. Zinpro IsoFerm is a breakthrough innovation in dairy ration formulation. 

The background  

The most unique characteristic of a dairy cow is her rumen, the large fermentation vat which utilises microbes to convert the feed she consumes into the nutrients she needs. Much of a cow’s ability to produce high volumes of quality milk, centres around healthy rumen function and increasingly - as environmental sustainability comes to the fore - efficient rumen function also plays a significant role. 

For many years, nutritionists have focused on optimising rumen conditions to maximise efficiency. Key areas of focus have been optimal rumen pH, providing rations with synergistic sources of energy and protein as well as maintaining appropriate levels of functional fibre in the rumen. But recent research carried out by Thompsons long term partner in performance nutrition, Zinpro, has brought to the market new research and new data that shows that although huge progress has been made to make the rumen as productive and efficient as it can be, in many situations certain nutrients required by the ruminal bacteria - and in particular fibre digesting bacteria - are in short supply.  

First cut silages this winter, are (on average) showing higher digestibility, but significant variation does exist across dairy units. Many 2nd cuts are analysing with higher levels of fibre as a result of varied growth rates during May or June. Extracting the best level of nutrients from dietary fibre sources has, until now, been challenging. 

The science

Branched chain volatile fatty acids (BCVFAs), commonly called isoacids, are an essential nutrient required by rumen bacteria to grow and reproduce. Isoacids are naturally occurring in all feed ingredients, but the quantity supplied by many of our highly fermentable, forage-based rations will not be enough to supply what the bacteria need. Fibre-digesting bacteria, in particular, depend on other rumen bacteria to make these isoacids available from the cow’s diet. So whenever the supply of isoacids is insufficient, it’s the fibre-digesting bacteria that are impacted most.

 

IsoFerm contains a unique blend of isoacids that are readily available in the rumen. Feeding IsoFerm enriches the supply of isoacids in the cow’s diet, ensuring that the fibre-digesting bacteria have an adequate supply of this essential nutrient. Target feeding the fibre-digesting bacteria in this way ensures their growth and function are optimized, increasing digestibility of the fibre fraction within the ration, and helping the rumen function more efficiently. For the cow, this means a greater supply of microbial protein and VFAs (energy) from the rumen, which are necessary to drive milk production, replenish body reserves, and support the growth and development of the calf.

By stimulating fibre digestion, feeding IsoFerm enables the cow to maximise the nutritional value of every kilogramme of feed that she consumes. This means she can produce more milk from less feed, driving greater feed efficiency and ensure better utilization of protein from the diet.      

IsoFerm for Lactating Dairy Cows

The benefits of feeding IsoFerm to lactating dairy cows are well established, backed by an extensive body of research undertaken by Zinpro in recent years, including both peer-reviewed scientific studies and on-farm trials. This research involved more than 50 dairy herds and over 70,000 dairy cows globally, across a range of different milking systems and diet types.  

On average, cows fed IsoFerm during the close-up dry period and for at least 60 days in milk, produced 4.3% more energy-corrected milk and had 5.5% greater feed efficiency. These responses were driven by improvements in both fibre digestion (NDF digestibility) and microbial protein production in the rumen. Cows fed IsoFerm also exhibited a superior energy status, maintaining live weight better during early lactation.  

More locally based, on-farm trials undertaken by Thompsons in 2025, involving well-managed herds fed grass silage-based diets, found an average increase in milk yield of 1.75 kg/cow/day (+5.2%) whenever cows were fed IsoFerm in both the close-up dry cow ration and the milking cow ration.  

IsoFerm for Transition Cows

More recent research has focused on the benefit of IsoFerm for the all-important transition cows. 

Research carried out by Zinpro showed that during the transition period, cows supplemented with IsoFerm produced more microbial protein as a result of increased NDF digestibility, improving dry matter intake before and after calving. These ruminal benefits reduce the extent of negative energy balance and weight loss at the beginning of lactation while increasing peak milk production. Increased isoacid availability during the dry period also initiates metabolic effects, increasing glucose production in the liver and improving transition energy balance. This is alongside a reduction in body fat breakdown and subsequent lowering of both blood NEFA and BHB levels, significantly reducing the incidence of ketosis in early lactation.  

IsoFerm is a New Innovation in Dairy Nutrition. This winter it will be offered as part of the Thompsons’ Range of compound feeds, across the range of Thompsons’ Dairy Blends and as a new Iso-Transition Nut for dry cow rations.  For further information contact your local Thompsons’ representative or Belfast on; 028 9035 1321. 

Posted 19,02,26 by allison.

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