by The fat content of cow’s milk is divided into the following categories:
- up to 1% – low-fat, drunk by people who avoid fatty foods;
- up to 2% – low percentage, but the most popular product used in various fields;
- 3,5% — average norm when determining the indicator of a fresh product immediately after milking;
- from 4,5 to 6% – high fat content, which is produced only by certain breeds of cows;
- 10% — maximum fat content, presented in the form of cream.
This division allows you to select a product for specific purposes.
Composition and types of fat
The most traditional product in the diet is cow’s milk. It has been with us since infancy – milk porridge, kefir, cottage cheese, yogurt and other products. Let’s consider what useful components are included in the composition and what types of fat content of this dairy product are known.
Composition
The nutritional value of 100 g of whole cow’s milk consists of the following indicators:
- energy value – 58 kcal;
- water – 88 g;
- proteins – 2,8 g;
- fats – 3,25 g;
- carbohydrates – 5,2 g;
- vitamin A – 0,01 mg;
- thiamine – 0,04 mg;
- riboflavin – 0,18 mg;
- cobalamin – 0,44 mcg;
- vitamin C – 1,3 mg;
- vitamin D – 2 IU;
- calcium – 113 mg;
- magnesium – 14 mg;
- potassium – 146 mg;
- sodium – 50 mg;
- phosphorus – 90 mg;
- iron – 0,06 mg.
Types of fat
The quality of natural milk is assessed by the milk fat content, which is measured as a percentage.
Today, there are several types of this product, which are divided depending on the percentage of fat in its composition. This indicator is important for different nutrition, as well as other areas of use.
Did you know? If you can’t buy cow’s milk of a certain fat content, you can take goat’s milk. It has a value of 4 to 9%, in addition, it contains the same amount of useful elements and is digested in the same way as cow’s milk.
What does the fat content of a cow’s milk depend on?
The average amount of fat in a home-made product is 3,5%.
Important! The most useful dairy product is the one that is consumed immediately after milking, the second name is fresh milk. Its fat content is average and is 3,5%.
However, despite this, it can change under the influence of various factors:
- animal breed;
- quality of the feed consumed;
- living conditions;
- family heritage;
- grazing time;
- age and health of the cow;
- presence of additional feed in the diet;
- climatic conditions of maintenance;
- number of calvings;
- volume of daily milk yield.
Genetic level
Genetics determines the maximum possible amount of fat in dairy products for a given type of cow, based on the fact that even within a herd, quite significant phenotypic variability is possible.
To avoid this, breeders conduct a strict selection based on certain characteristics, allowing animals that best match these characteristics to be bred further.
Did you know? A kilogram of natural butter is prepared from 21 liters of milk, and the same amount of cheese is prepared from 10 liters of this product.
Breed is an important factor that affects the quality of the product. For example, the more milk a cow produces, the lower the percentage of fat they have, and vice versa.
Forage base
The issue of increasing the fat content of milk is relevant for all owners of these animals. In this matter, it is important to pay maximum attention to the nutrition of animals, since it is known that feed affects milk yield, taste, and other indicators of the product.
To obtain a high percentage of fat, you need to give the animal the following types of feed:
- hay made from good quality legumes and cereals;
- foods containing a large amount of fiber;
- light carbohydrates in an amount of no more than 10%;
- vitamins and microelements – Ca, Zn, P and vitamins.
However, there are foods that are strictly forbidden to abuse, as they can achieve a different result, these include:
Age characteristics
Experts are sure that the age of the cows affects the fat content of the product. It is known that the best indicator is obtained after the 6th calving.
The indicator rapidly increases after the 5th calving. In addition, young cows produce a much fatter product than older ones.
Season
The level of fat content in milk is directly affected by the time of year. It changes significantly depending on when milking occurs – in winter or summer.
This happens because in the cold season animals do not have the opportunity to eat fresh grass, which contains a lot of liquid, and move a lot, so they consume a lot of concentrated feed with additives, which affects the level of fat in the product.
Relative and total fat index
Milk quality is characterized by the relative fat content, which is measured in percentages. The highest value belongs to Jersey cows – 14%.
But if we take into account the fact that this breed does not produce large volumes of milk, then the percentage of fat content for the entire lactation period will be no more than 700 kg.
It is also common to distinguish between total fat content, which shows the total fat content in milk in kilograms.
The record holder for fat content is Holstein cattle – more than 1 ton of fat can be obtained from one animal. However, the relative indicator is low – only 3,3-3,8%.
How to determine fat content at home?
It is not easy to accurately determine the fat content of milk without equipment. You can only get an approximate indicator at home.
To determine the amount of fat, the following steps are taken:
- Take a transparent glass, wash it well and dry it.
- Set the line at 10 cm.
- Pour in fresh milk and leave in a warm room for 8 hours.
- After the time has elapsed, use a ruler to measure the layer of cream that appears on top.
Now you need to calculate one indicator. 10 cm is taken as 100% fat index. Now you can calculate the amount of fat in your milk. However, it is important to remember that this result is not % accurate.
Why did the fat content of the cow’s milk drop?
The oiliness of a product may decrease as a result of the following factors:
- problems with food, namely low intake of fiber and roughage, while there is an excess of fat, oil and sugar in the diet;
- lack of energy;
- poor feed supply;
- season of the year;
- lactation period;
- genetics;
- problems with milking equipment.
How to increase the fat content of milk?
You can increase the fat content of your milk by using the following tricks during milking:
- The first drops contain up to 1% fat, which is usually milked into a separate container. This will not only increase the amount of fat, but also ensure complete hygiene of the process.
- The last drops are the fattest. For this, it is important to massage before each milking and milk completely.
- During the dry period, balanced feeding is carried out. It is important to use high-quality feed or prepare it yourself.
- At home, a separator is used.
Let’s consider how to increase the fat content of milk using feed or living conditions.
Using the right feeds
Initially, you can increase the fat content of milk by changing the animals’ diet. Usually, it is enough to increase the amount of green, juicy and rough feed as much as possible, which will significantly improve the quality of milk yield.
During the warm season, animals are kept on field grass for as long as possible, because they know exactly what kind of grass they need.
Important! It is impossible to increase the fat content of milk by feeding it concentrated feed, as this will lead to weight gain in cows. And in this state they are very reluctant to be milked. In addition, the growth of starchy components in the product increases.
In addition, plenty of sun and exercise make milk even better. In winter, a variety of herbs are provided by harvesting hay, grass meal, straw and silage, as well as root crops and vegetables.
In addition, they are given mash and porridge with boiled potatoes and other root vegetables.
It is important that the amount of hay does not exceed 20% of the total diet, otherwise the fat content will drop to 0,5%. Knowing what to feed, you need to understand what conditions of maintenance must be observed.
Features of the content
The highest fat content of milk is found in cows that are bred in a range or pasture way. Forced movement, increased sun exposure, consumption of fresh feed and an abundance of greenery contribute to an increase in this indicator.
The taste of real milk is unmistakable. The recommendations given in the article will help ensure that your cow produces products with a good fat content.
How to reduce the fat content of milk?
Sometimes producers do not need high productivity. They artificially reduce the fat content in milk. The right approach guarantees the safety of cattle and stability of milk yields.
The parameter can be reduced by purchasing a breed of cows that are distinguished by high milk yields with a low fat concentration. In addition, introducing turnips and rapeseed hay into the cow’s menu will reduce the indicator. Eating rapeseed and shepherd’s purse in the field negatively affects the percentage of fat.
If cattle are fed less than 2.5 kg of hay per feeding and there is a lack of water, fat content also decreases.
Water is added to the prepared product: the taste properties change. The technology is appropriate for preparing porridges.
