100% Pure Canola Oil | Green Valley Grains
When it comes to animal nutrition, providing the right balance of energy, fibre, protein and essential nutrients is key to keeping horses and livestock healthy and performing at their best.
One simple ingredient that can make a valuable addition to a feeding program is 100% pure canola oil.
Canola oil is a plant-based source of concentrated dietary energy, making it a practical option for horse owners and livestock producers looking to increase the energy content of a ration without relying entirely on additional grain.
At Green Valley Grains, we offer 100% pure canola oil in a convenient 20L container, suitable for incorporating into properly balanced feeding programs for horses and livestock.
Whether you're feeding performance horses, managing breeding stock or looking for additional energy in livestock rations, canola oil can offer a simple and versatile nutritional solution.
What Is Canola Oil?
Canola oil is a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the canola plant.
It is naturally rich in unsaturated fats and provides a concentrated source of dietary energy.
Unlike cereal grains, which primarily provide energy through starch, canola oil supplies energy through fat.
This makes it a useful ingredient when additional dietary energy is required without significantly increasing starch intake.
Why Include Canola Oil in Animal Feed?
Canola oil offers several potential nutritional advantages:
While canola oil provides valuable dietary energy and fatty acids, it does not supply significant protein, fibre or the full range of vitamins and minerals animals require.
It should always be used as part of a balanced feeding program.
Feeding Canola Oil to Horses
Canola oil is commonly used as an additional energy source in equine diets, particularly for horses that need more calories without a substantial increase in grain intake.
It may be useful for horses in regular work, performance horses and some horses that struggle to maintain body condition.
How to Feed Canola Oil to Horses
1. Mix into the daily hard feed
Canola oil can be poured directly over suitable chaff, pellets or grain-based feeds and mixed thoroughly.
Start with a small amount and increase gradually to allow the horse's digestive system to adapt.
2. Support healthy body condition
For horses that require additional calories, canola oil can help increase the energy density of their existing ration.
This can be particularly useful when the horse is already consuming adequate forage but requires extra energy to maintain an appropriate body condition.
3. Provide an alternative to additional starch
For horses requiring more dietary energy, oil can sometimes replace a portion of the energy otherwise supplied by cereal grains.
This may be useful in carefully designed lower-starch feeding programs.
4. Support coat condition
Adequate dietary fat and essential fatty acids contribute to normal skin and coat health.
Horse owners may notice an improvement in coat appearance when an inadequate fat intake is corrected, although canola oil is not a guaranteed solution for coat or skin problems.
How Much Canola Oil Should You Feed a Horse?
The appropriate amount depends on the horse's body weight, workload, condition and total dietary fat intake.
A small introductory amount, such as 15–30mL daily for an average-sized adult horse, may be used to assess acceptance before gradually increasing the quantity.
Larger amounts may be appropriate for some horses, but should be calculated as part of the complete ration rather than treated as a universal feeding recommendation.
Our tip: Introduce canola oil slowly over approximately two to three weeks, monitor manure consistency and appetite, and make sure the horse continues to receive adequate forage and a balanced vitamin and mineral intake.
Feeding Canola Oil to Cattle
Canola oil can also be incorporated into cattle feeding programs as a concentrated source of energy.
However, cattle digest fats differently from horses.
As ruminants, cattle rely on a complex population of microorganisms in the rumen to break down fibrous feeds.
Excessive amounts of added oil can interfere with rumen fermentation and fibre digestion, making correct inclusion rates especially important.
Practical Ways to Feed Canola Oil to Cattle
1. Incorporate into formulated rations
Canola oil may be included in properly balanced grain mixes or total mixed rations (TMR) to increase dietary energy density.
2. Support higher-energy feeding programs
In some production systems, additional dietary fat may be useful where animals have increased energy requirements.
3. Use in manufactured stockfeeds
Canola oil can be incorporated into suitable commercial feed formulations to contribute energy and assist with feed processing.
Important Considerations for Cattle
Oil inclusion should be assessed against the total fat content of the diet, including fat already supplied by pasture, grain and other feed ingredients.
Too much oil may reduce feed intake and negatively affect rumen fibre digestion.
For this reason, cattle feeding rates should be established with a qualified ruminant nutritionist.
Feeding Canola Oil to Sheep and Goats
Sheep and goats can also utilise dietary fat as an energy source.
However, like cattle, they are ruminants and require careful management of added oils.
How Can Canola Oil Be Used?
What Should You Consider?
Adding too much oil can disrupt normal rumen function and reduce the digestion of fibrous feeds.
For sheep and goats, canola oil should generally be incorporated into a complete feeding program rather than offered freely or poured onto feed without a calculated inclusion rate.
It is also important to ensure the diet provides adequate effective fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Can You Mix Canola Oil with Other Feeds?
Absolutely! One of the practical benefits of canola oil is how easily it can be incorporated into many prepared feeds.
Mixing with Chaff and Grain
Canola oil can be poured over suitable dry feed and mixed thoroughly to distribute the oil evenly.
This is particularly practical for horses receiving regular hard feeds.
Mixing with Pellets
Canola oil can be added to some pelleted feeds, provided the overall ration remains balanced and the feed manufacturer's instructions permit additional oil.
Mixing with Molasses
Canola oil and molasses can both be used as energy ingredients in animal feeds, but they behave differently.
Molasses is water-based and rich in sugars, while canola oil is fat-based.
Simply combining the two may cause separation.
For consistent blending in commercial feed applications, specialised mixing equipment or an appropriate feed-grade emulsifier may be required.
Important: Always consider the combined energy contribution of molasses, oil and other feed ingredients when formulating a ration.
Is Canola Oil Better Than Grain for Energy?
Not necessarily. Canola oil and grain provide different nutritional benefits.
Grains supply starch and, depending on the ingredient, varying amounts of protein, fibre and minerals.
Canola oil supplies concentrated energy from fat without contributing meaningful starch.
For horses requiring additional calories without a large increase in starch intake, canola oil may be a useful option.
For cattle, sheep and goats, the choice depends on the complete ration and the effect of added fat on rumen function.
The best approach is not necessarily to replace grain entirely, but to select the right combination of ingredients for the animal's nutritional requirements.
Canola Oil and Omega Fatty Acids
Canola oil naturally contains both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
These are important components of normal cell membranes and contribute to a range of physiological processes.
Canola oil typically contains more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids, although its fatty acid profile differs from oils such as flaxseed oil, which is particularly rich in omega-3.
While canola oil contributes essential fatty acids, it should not be marketed as equivalent to a specialised high-omega-3 supplement.
The overall fatty acid balance of the complete diet remains important.
How to Store Canola Oil
Correct storage helps protect the quality of canola oil and maintain its suitability for animal feeding.
For best results:
Oil that develops a noticeably rancid smell or shows signs of deterioration should not be fed to animals.
Why Choose Green Valley Grains 100% Pure Canola Oil?
At Green Valley Grains, we understand that practical feeding solutions are just as important as quality ingredients.
Our 100% pure canola oil offers a straightforward way to incorporate additional plant-based energy into suitable animal diets.
Our Canola Oil Offers:
Convenient 20L Packaging
Green Valley Grains 100% Pure Canola Oil is available in a practical 20L container.
Ideal for horse owners, equestrian properties, farms and feed manufacturers, this size offers a convenient solution for regular feeding requirements.
Whether you're adding a small amount to a horse's daily ration or incorporating canola oil into a professionally formulated feed mix, our 20L packaging makes storage and handling straightforward.
A Simple Addition to a Balanced Feeding Program
From the horse stable to the livestock feed shed, canola oil is a versatile ingredient that can help increase dietary energy without relying solely on additional starch.
For horses, it may be particularly useful when extra calories are needed to support body condition or workload.
For cattle, sheep and goats, it can form part of a carefully balanced ration where dietary fat levels are appropriately managed.
Green Valley Grains 100% Pure Canola Oil — practical, plant-based energy for horses and livestock.
Explore the Green Valley Grains range and discover how our 20L canola oil can complement your animal feeding program.
Feeding note: Canola oil is a supplementary energy ingredient, not a complete feed. Introduce gradually and seek professional nutritional advice before making significant changes to an animal's diet, particularly for ruminants or animals with existing health conditions.