Fernando Diaz
Milk fat is the most valuable component in milk. These three studies published recently show different approaches for improving milk fat yield.
A work conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln evaluated the additive effects of starch and fat as risk factors associated with milk fat depression in dairy diets.
The researchers (Ramirez Ramirez et al., 2015) compared a control diet (fat 5.2%, starch 19%) with three other similar diets containing either 0.97% added corn oil (fat 6.4%, starch 18%) or 8.5% additional ground corn (fat 5.5%, starch 22%), or both 0.97% corn oil and 7.6% corn (fat 6.5%, starch 23%). All diets contained 33% corn silage, 10% alfalfa haylage, and 20% DDGS.
The results, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, showed the inclusion of oil, starch, or a combination of both induce milk fat depression, measured as a reduction on the overall concentration and yield of de novo synthesised fatty acids (<16 carbons) in milk.
Continue reading this article published in International Dairy Topics.