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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.