The fat content of milk is not a constant value. It depends on many factors. The fat content of milk can be determined; there are special methods for this. Let's consider ways to determine the fat content of cow's milk, types of fat content, factors that influence how much fat it will contain, and whether it is possible to increase the fat content of cows at home.
Relative and total fat
Cow's milk is 88% water.The rest consists of dry matter, a mixture of useful substances that are in an easily digestible form. The dry residue also contains animal fat. The average fat content of whole milk for cows is 3.2%. This figure means that 100 ml of liquid contains 3.2 ml of fat. The relative indicator is the fat content in 1 kg of milk (in percent).
Fat content correlates with the amount of milk a cow produces. Typically, fatty milk is found in those animals that cannot boast of large milk yields. And vice versa, if a cow produces a lot of milk, it is not particularly fatty. This pattern is typical for cattle of any type - both dairy and meat.
At a rate of 3.2%, milk is suitable for regular consumption; for dietary purposes it is skimmed. Baked milk has a reduced amount of water, so its fat content thus increases. Fresh milk has the maximum value. After a few hours, the fats in it begin to transform into other substances. Fat content depends on where the animals live - country cows produce a thicker product than those bred on farms.
The percentage of fat content may also differ by breed. The fattest milk Jersey cows - the average is 4.5-6%, the maximum is as much as 8%. The breed's milk yield is small (3 thousand liters per year), but purebred animals are used to improve the characteristics of other breeds. Holstein cows have a maximum milk yield of 12 thousand liters per year, but the milk is not fat.
Types of fat content
Dairy products are divided into types, taking into account the percentage of fat content:
- 0-1% – low-fat, intended for nutrition of people on a diet;
- 1-2% – for public catering and dairy products production;
- 3.5% – normal fat content of fresh milk;
- 4.5-6% - only some breeds produce such milk,
- 10% is an indicator typical for cream.
Fat content is a criterion that can tell a livestock breeder which breed to choose for home raising. If you plan to keep cows to obtain milk for fresh sale, then you can take a dairy individual with low-fat milk. If the product is intended to be used to produce dairy products - cottage cheese, cheeses, then you need to take a cow with full-fat milk. Fat content also affects the taste of milk. So, one that has at least 3.2-3.8% is considered tasty.
Factors affecting the percentage of fat in cow's milk
There are several of these factors. These are the genetic potential of the animal, feeding diet, age and season. Each of them affects fat content, reducing or increasing it.
Genetic level
In some dairy breeds, selection was and is being carried out for such characteristics as milk fat content. The best representatives are selected for breeding, and their offspring inherit the desired traits. However, even among purebred cows, phenotypic deviations from the standard are possible.
Belonging to a breed to some extent guarantees a certain percentage of fat content, since this characteristic in cows is inherited.
Feed base
The potential inherent in a cow by nature and breeders can only be shown by proper feeding.If the animal is underfed or the feed does not contain enough important mineral components, the fat content will be affected.
The food a cow eats at home also matters. Fat in the body of ruminants is formed from acetic acid, the source of which is fiber obtained by animals from grass, hay, and silage. If there is not enough roughage in the cattle diet, the production of acetic acid is reduced and the fat content is reduced. The minimum fiber content in the diet of dairy cows should be 16-18%. Hay in the diet should be at least 50%, grain – no more than 15% (if you exceed the norm, lactic acidosis may develop).
Maintaining the optimal ratio of sugars and protein (1 to 1), sugars and starch (1.5:1) in the cattle diet improves conditions for the rumen microflora, which enhances fat synthesis. The optimal level of starch in the diet of dairy cows is no more than 28%. If carbohydrates in the diet are less than 20% or more than 40%, fat content may decrease by 1%.
Finely ground feed reduces the amount of fat, since due to the small size of the particles they are quickly removed from the proventriculus. Therefore, you need to cut root vegetables and vegetables into small pieces so that the cow can swallow them. To increase fat content, cattle are fed with mixed feed and crushed corn. You can add a little sugar to the corn mash. Boiled potatoes (not raw, they contain a lot of starch), beets and carrots in small portions are added to the food. All vegetables must be cleared of soil.
Age characteristics
How much fat milk contains depends on the age of the cattle. Practical studies show that fat content, like milk yield, increases until the 5th calving, and becomes maximum in the next lactation.In older cows, these characteristics naturally decline. In first-calf heifers it is lower than in cows that have given birth repeatedly, which is also considered normal.
Season
The fat content is lower in summer than in winter. This depends on feeding succulent food in the warm season and drinking a large volume of water. The liquid entering the body makes the milk thinner.
Methods for determining fat content
For accurate measurement there is a device - a lactometer, but at home the value can be determined with acceptable accuracy. You need to pour fresh milk into a glass 10 cm high. Leave it for 8 hours. During this time the cream will rise to the surface. You need to measure this layer, the value in millimeters will correspond to the percentage of fat.
Why might fat content drop?
For many reasons. Due to low fiber, protein and sulfur content in feed, insufficient consumption of roughage, increased volume of carbohydrates and vegetable fats (for example, cake). Due to insufficient energy produced by the cow at the beginning of lactation. Fat content drops as much as possible in the middle of the feeding period and increases towards its end. It may also fall due to disorders in the digestive tract - rumen acidosis.
Is it possible to increase?
If you have the opportunity to graze cows on pasture, you need to use it. Movement, sunshine, fresh air and a wide variety of grasses have a beneficial effect on the health of cows, and they produce better products than those kept in stalls.
You can influence the quality characteristics of milk by changing your diet. The cow is given more greenery, roughage and succulent feed, in winter - good hay, silage, grass flour, straw, and root vegetables. Hay should be fed evenly throughout the day.
The animal is fed mash of potatoes and vegetables. You need to be careful with grain additives. Grain increases the energy value of food, but can shorten the duration of lactation. It is important to milk the cow correctly. It is recommended to pour the first streams, in which there is almost no fat, into a separate container and not mix them with the main milk yield. It is also necessary to carefully milk all the milk from the udder, the last portions being the fattest.
The fat content of cow's milk is one of its most important characteristics and a determining criterion for its taste properties. It depends on many factors, which can be influenced by the livestock breeder himself by properly feeding and caring for the animal. Milk with optimal fat content is not only tasty and healthy, but is an excellent raw material for the production of cheeses, cottage cheese, yoghurts and other dairy products.