Fatty acids can be flat-out complicated. First off, they have too many names. Linoleic is 18:2 and is also omega-6. Three names for the same fatty acid – is that really necessary?

Ruminants are particularly affected by heat stress for several reasons. First, the heat from rumen fermentation is a plus during colder weather because it operates as an “internal furnace” for ruminants.

People's eating behaviors have changed in the last decades. We spend more time at the supermarket choosing healthy products and reading food labels carefully. One of the characteristics we pay more attention to is fat quantity and quality. This is mainly because we link polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, especially omega-3) with a healthy diet.

Great strides have been made recently in improving the fertility of dairy cows, with significant focus on genomics and improvements in sync programs. As the genetic potential of our herds continues to accelerate, how we feed these genetics to meet the needs of high-performing dairy cows becomes that much more critical.

Recently, among the different dietary fatty acids (FAs), considerable attention has been given to palmitic acid (C16:0) because of its potential to increase milkfat concentration and yield. Additionally, C16:0 has consistently increased feed efficiency compared with diets not supplemented with fats and other options of FA supplements.

Fatty acids are one of the last major nutrient categories to be truly “balanced” in our dairy cow diets. Several factors have come together recently to make now the era of fatty acid balancing. First, producers are getting paid more per pound of milkfat as a percentage of their milk check.

Over the last few decades, numerous advances in the dairy industry have allowed lactating dairy cows to produce greater quantities of higher-quality milk than ever before.