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The Fat Percentage of Milk as Affected by Feeding Milk to Dairy Cows¹

Division of Dairy Husbandry, University of Minnesota, St. Paul

ABSTRACT

1. When whole milk was fed during alternate six-day periods to eleven cows in various stages of lactation, in addition to their regular ration, a marked increase in butterfat percentage and butterfat production resulted. This effect first became apparent about twenty-four hours after the milk was added and was maintained for an equal length of time after it was discontinued.
   
2. Similar results were obtained by feeding cream of high fat content.
   
3. The increased butterfat production secured by feeding whole milk or cream may be maintained for at least twelve days.
   
4. Skimmilk feeding did not bring about an increase in either butterfat production or butterfat percentage.
   
5. Definite conclusions in regard to the effect of milk feeding upon the milk production as shown by this experiment are not justified since the response of the different animals was not uniform. The results suggest that the immediate effect upon milk production is not significant.
   
6. The additional butterfat production due to feeding whole milk or cream was secured in a very inefficient manner, since the increase accounted for less than twenty per cent of the butterfat consumed.
   
7. Milk was not readily consumed by cows which were not accustomed to it, either as a drink or when mixed with their grain feed. Most cows, after becoming accustomed to the taste of milk, ate it readily when mixed with feed. Some cows which had been taught to drink milk consumed the liquid milk readily.
   
8. No unfavorable physiological effect was observed in cows fed up to forty pounds of milk containing over two pounds of butterfat daily, even when added to the ration in the full amount after a period in which no milk was fed.
   

¹ Published with the approval of the Director as Paper No. 1030, Journal Series, Minnesota Experiment Station.