Factor Affecting the Milk Composition

Diet alter
Affect on: Water,
Genetic fat up to
Fat, Protein, Factors 3 % and
protein
Lactose and 0.6%
Minerals
Physiological Managemen
Factors tal Factor

Environment
al Factors

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 Yield, composition and properties of milk are not constant. A
number of factors influence them.

Fat% of milk is more variable than any other constituents

Considerable variation occurs in Protein% but less than fat; Range of

variation in lactose and Ash content of milk is fairly low

These all variations in milk composition are largely QUANTITATIVE

So,

Variation in Food value and economic value of milk

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 1. Breed

Milk composition of 5 breeds of dairy cattle

Breed also affect on size of fat Jersey breed milk has more volatile fatty
globules. Jersey produces milk acids than others.
with the largest size of Fat Guernsey milk is deep yellow in color but
Globules while it is the HF milk has very less pigmentation
3 smallest in HF milk
 2. species
Milk Composition in different species
Species Water % Protein % Lactose % Fat % Ash %

Human 87.41 2 6.21 3.78 0.3

Elephant 67.8 3.1 8.8 19.6 0.7

Dog 75.4 11.2 3.1 9.6 0.71

Cow 87 3.3 5 4 0.7

Buffalo 82.05 4 5.18 7.98 0.79

Sheep 81.23 5.6 4.4 7.80 0.87

Goat 80.71 4.29 4.46 4.78 0.76

Camel 87.61 2.98 3.26 5.38 0.7

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 Animal Selection
3. Genetic Differences
is most
important
 Genetic factor is major controlling factor
 Heritability is defined as the ratio of genetic variance to total phenotypic
ratio.
 Heritability of fat, protein, and lactose content 0.58, 0.49, and 0.5,
respectively, while that of milk yield average 0.27

4. Individuality

Among Jersey Cow …composition vary

Heredity
Environmental and physiological factor
Milk yield and composition more or less in different day
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 5.Pregnancy

 Pregnancy has an inhibitory effect on milk yield.

 Reduction in milk yield occurs after 5th month of pregnancy.
 By the 8th month of pregnancy, milk yield sharply decline.
 Increase in estrogen and Progesterone level as pregnancy
progresses, inhibits milk secretion.
 Progesterone inhibits the activity of α-lactalbumin.

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 6.Age/Parity
 Milk production increases with number of lactation and is
maximized in the 5th or 6th lactation.
 Increase body size and udder size.
 While milk fat content remains relatively constant, milk
protein content gradually decreases with advancing age.
 30% increase in milk production from the first to the fifth
lactation.
 After 6th lactation milk production decline

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 7.Milking interval

 Normal milking interval is 12 hours

 Morning and evening milking vary milk composition.
 Cows milking at unequal intervals produce less milk than
those milking at equal intervals.
 Incomplete Milking for several consecutive days can
permanently reduce milk yield for the entire lactation.

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 7.Milking interval………

 Single milking at 24 hours loss milk production potential.

 Milking time for most cows is 5-7 minutes per cow/role of
oxytocin
 Residual milk in Udder reduce both milk yield and fat content.
 Each hour milking interval exceeds from normal milking hour,
fat% reduced 0.1-0.15%.
 Each hour milking interval below the normal milking hour fat%
increase by 0.2-0.25%

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 8. Milking frequency
 Milking twice a day yields at least 40% more milk than once
a day.
 Increasing milking frequency to 3 x day increases milk yield
by up to 20% (range 5-20%).
 Shorter the milking interval higher fat content
 Milking thrice a day for entire lactation than twice a day
increase milk fat% 10-20%

Reasons ?
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 Milk composition vary due to Milking interval and frequency

Intramammary
pressure

Increased Hormone
milk secretion
production

Less negative
feed back to
secretary cells

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 9.Stage of Lactation

Changes in milk composition at successive

milking (Colostrums Phase)
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 9.Stage of Lactation ..Contd……
Peak Milk Yield..Protein and Fat declines and Lactose
highest

Changes in the concentrations of fat, protein and lactose over a lactation of a

13 cow.
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 10.Change in Milk Composition During Milking

 First drawn milk may contain only 1-2% fat,

 At the stripping or end of milking, fat % may be 5-10%.

 Tendency of the fat globules to cluster and be trapped in the

alveoli because of lower density than other milk constituents

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 11.Dry period
 Dairy cows are usually dried-off for two months prior to the
next calving.
 Milk yield is usually reduced when the dry period is less than 40-
60 days (25-40% less milk) in coming parity.
 Dry period longer than 60 days in length does not result in a
significant increase in milk production
 Long dry periods decrease the average annual
production………….

For good physical and physiological condition

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 11. Seasonal Variations

Fat yield

0.2-0.4%

Jun -July
Effect of season on fat % in cow milk

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 12.Seasonal Variations
 Total milk yield increase 10-20% in winter
 Milk fat and protein percentages are lower by 0.2-0.4% in
summer than winter.
 Good quality pasture and no heat stress
 Cows calving in the fall or winter produce more fat and
solid-not-fat than cows calving in the spring and summer.
 Microbial digestion is low in summer due to low coarse
pasture and conversion of fatty acid to milk fat is low.

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 13.Ambient temperature

 Breed Specific Effect.

 Holstein tolerate low temperature and Small breed tolerate hot
temperature.
 Milk fat and SNF increase with decreased temperature.
 Holstein ..optimum temp 100c and above 27 production and
milk quality hampers.
 High temperature ---- Drop in feed intake, more water intake,
increase respiration rate, decrease milk yield and quality.

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 14.Effects of Nutrition on Milk Composition
 Milk fat is the most influenced constituent by dietary
manipulations
1.Plane of nutrition,
2.Forage:concentrate ratio,
3.Forage particle size (forage processing) f Maximizing
4.Forage quality (e.g. particle size), Rumen
Function
5.level and type dietary fat Can Increase
Milk
 Ruminal acetate:propionate ratio Components

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 14.1 Plane of nutrition
 Underfeeding dairy cows reduces lactose % and increases fat
%.
 Feeding imbalance rations (e.g. low energy:protein ratio)
may reduce milk fat and protein percentages.
 High producing cows should eat 3.5 to 4.0 percent of their
body weight daily as dry matter.

Negative
Energy Balance
in Cattle

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 14.2 Forage: Concentrate ratio
 To maintain normal milk fat percentage Forage concentrate
ratio should be approx. 60 to 40.
 The effects include decreased rumen pH, increased propionic
acid production and compromised fiber digestion
 Increase Concentrate in the ration leads fat % decline
Due to Lower ruminal production of acetate and butyrate
 If the concentrates are fed separately from the forage fat %
decline. (Reduced ruminal acetate:propionate ratio)

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 14.3 Forage particle size (forage processing)

 Feeding finely chopped forages has a negative impact on milk fat %

 Finely chopped forages spend less time chewing and therefore will
produce less saliva.
 Ruminal pH will drop as there is less saliva

 As the ruminal pH drops below 6,cellulolytic bacteria is reduced, then

production of acetic and butyric acids.
 Ideal particle size depends on the forage, but as a general rule, BMR corn

silage should be chopped at ⅜- to ¾-inch.

So what is the correct forage particle size? There is no one answer that fits all dairy
operations. The bottom line is to find what works on ones farm to optimize rumen health
23and milk output.
 16.Effect of Hormone
Growth hormones (BST)
 Positive correlation between milk production of cows

 Growth hormone causes redistribution of nutrient within the cow’s

body to favor nutrient utilization towards milk production.
Prolactin: Maintenance of lactation
Thyroxin: Iodine containing hormone, increase milk fat, TS and Milk
yield.
Oxytocin: milk letdown and increase milk yield

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 15.Diseases
 Infection of the udder (mastitis) greatly influences milk
composition.
 Concentrations of fat, solids-not-fat, lactose, casein, b-
lactogolbulin and a-lactalbumin are lowered and
concentrations of blood serum albumin, Immuno globulins,
sodium, and chloride are increased.
 Casein content may be below the normal limit of 78% and
chloride ion increase to 0.12%
 Electrical conductivity of normal milk range from 4.6 to 5.8
ms/cm; and somatic cell count did not exceed 200
thousand/ml.
 Increased in EC and SCC of milk can be treated as one of
the main parameters for cows' health monitoring system.

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 17.Feed and water supply
 Any restriction in feed or water supply will result in a drop
in milk production.
 Insufficient supply of water for few hours will result in a
rapid drop in milk yield.
 As the level of starch in the ration increases, the level of
acetate produced in the rumen is decreased while that of
propionate is increased.This causes a reduction in milk fat %.
 Incorporation of fat or oil in dairy cow ration can
substantially alter profile of milk fatty acids.

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 Feeding management practices and their potential impact on
milk fat and protein concentration

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 Summary

 Many factors can influence milk composition

 Certainly, genetics plays an important role, but changes here

are slow
 Keep disease to a minimum and adjust their management
program as the seasons permits
 Best play- Take advantage of nutritional management
OPTIMIZATION that maximize rumen function

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