Milk Components

The story of fat and the future of protein: How genetics influence components

kevin.ziemba@stgen.com — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0400

The modern Holstein is a component machine. That kind of progress does not happen by accident; it is the combined force of genomics, index-driven selection and breeders who started giving fat the respect the market was begging for.

InFocus: National DHI test-day somatic cell count unchanged at 181,000

audrey@agproud.com — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 10:00:35 -0400

Nationally, the average 2024 DHI test-day herd SCC was 181,000 cells per milliliter, unchanged from 2023, according to a summary report from the Council of Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) and compared to previous reports from CDCB and the USDA’s Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory.

Which traits make an efficient dairy cow?

devries@ufl.edu — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Which traits make an efficient dairy cow? To answer that question, it is useful to carefully think about what a very efficient dairy cow looks like. One definition of an efficient dairy cow is cow that maximizes milk production while maintaining good health and fertility, thereby optimizing profitability for the producer.

How to ensure the highest milk quality and standards

joel.prince@waikatomilking.com — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0400

At the heart of the approach of harvesting high-quality milk is ensuring farmers have a thorough understanding of key milk quality parameters, including milk composition, somatic cell count (SCC), bacterial count and the absence of contaminants.

In Focus: National DHI test-day somatic cell count averages 181,000

audrey@agproud.com — Thu, 16 May 2024 10:28:35 -0400

U.S. milk producers again saw a decrease in average somatic cell counts (SCC) based on an annual summary of Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) test-day results.

Butterfat 101: There’s more to it than nutrition

rkrammes@standardnutrition.com — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0400

All we have to do is balance the ration to maximize fat, right? Regarding the number of variables involved in ration formulation, few diets are ever truly balanced. Consider the word “optimized” instead. Let’s look at several key nutrients that must be optimized for maximum butterfat production.

KPI alphabet soup: Defining acronyms of high-performance dairies

cjenkins@standardnutrition.com — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Interpreting dairy key performance indicators (KPIs) have you feeling like eating an alphabet soup sandwich? While there are hundreds of ways to slice and dice dairy metrics, this article will define and explore several KPIs that have a substantial impact on dairy productivity and profitability.

More to milkfat than meets the eye

william.seymour@novusint.com — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Milkfat is a valuable commodity and is a reflection of overall rumen health and production efficiency. Take a proactive approach with your nutritionist to find ways to better optimize factors affecting milkfat yield, including taking a closer look at what lies behind the average bulk tank fat test.

Helping the rumen do its job in the face of milkfat depression

hannah.tucker@novusint.com — Mon, 19 Sep 2022 10:59:53 -0400

Due to record highs for butterfat pricing, the buzz in the industry has been about how to maximize butterfat production in the bulk tank. But at the end of the day, it’s the individual cows that are being milked into the bulk tank and eating the rations.

Milk fatty acid analysis: Status update for field application

mac_campbell@cargill.com — Fri, 07 May 2021 13:00:01 -0400

Getting more milkfat has been a constant goal in our industry. Along with milk protein, fat production serves as a main driver for farm financial success and, therefore, has been a targeted topic for genetic improvement, diet formulation and dairy research.

Components versus flow: What’s your most profitable path?

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:24:12 -0500

In this era of component pricing, the message to dairies has been clear: Make more components and make less water. However, the devil is in the details as milk flow and pounds of components are inextricably linked.

Your cows are flex-fuel animals: Are you taking advantage of that?

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 13:00:01 -0400

In the daily demands of running a dairy, most of us who work with dairy cows might not reflect on how amazing they are.

What does it take to produce 7 pounds of components?

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 13:00:01 -0400

Producing high milk yield isn’t easy, but producing milk with high volumes of fat and protein components is even more challenging. Yet there are herds across the country meeting this challenge every day with increasing efficiency.

Producers optimizing payables: Trend data show milkfat up, SCC down for top herds

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 13:00:01 -0400

Top producers have optimized two key parameters to generate significantly more milk revenue despite the long-running down dairy market, as shown in a unique database of milk processor records.

Why ship water when you’re paid for solids?

eschwab@vitaplus.com — Fri, 18 May 2012 07:00:00 -0400

Singer and songwriter Bob Dylan said, “The times they are a-changin’.” One could argue the same idea applies to today’s U.S. dairy industry and the tastes of global consumers that demand dairy products. Domestically, consumer preference for dairy is changing. Cheese and yogurt are replacing fluid milk and ice cream as the products of choice.