Butterfat Farming Note

The financial incentive for butterfat levels is highly variable and will depend on milk contract. For most contracts, increasing butterfat percentage must not be at the expense of volume, however butterfat may be indicative of rumen function and so have hidden benefits for health and fertility. Targeting nutrition and genetics can be used to manipulate the percentage of butterfat in milk.

This Farming Note covers:

• Financial incentives
• The formation of butterfat
• Health and fertility
• Effect of nutrition and animal factor on butterfat levels

Issued February 2013.

About Kingshay Farming Notes

Since 1991 Kingshay has been publishing Farming Notes on issues critical to the success of a modern dairy farm business. These briefings provide dairy farmers, large animal vets, farm consultants and other interested parties with the most important and timely information in a concise two-page format. The information contained in our Farming Notes is written and updated by our experts to ensure accuracy and save you time.

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