Expert advice on raising milk fat and protein content

With Arla Foods moving towards a solids-based milk payment model and speculation other processors will follow suit, experts are advising producers to focus on genetics and nutrition to increase the fat and protein content of their milk.

Phil Clarke, a cow nutrition and breeding specialist at P&L Agri Consulting, expects all major processors to have made the switch to a model with greater emphasis on milk solids. Only supermarkets are likely to continue to base raw milk prices on volume.

Mr Clarke advises farmers expecting this change in their contract model to focus primarily on genetics to make this transition, with nutrition and management playing a supporting role.

See also: How one farmer is using genetics to increase milk solids

He recommends that farmers focus on these main areas:

• Genetics and calving patterns
• Nutrition and fibre intake and limiting free oil

Genetics and calving patterns

Andy Dodd, technical extension officer for dairy breeding and fertility at AHDB, agrees that genetics are the most efficient way to make the switch.

AHDB updated its breeding index in 2014, putting greater emphasis on milk quality. These changes, Mr Dodd says, were geared towards where the market was going.

The Spring Calving Index (SCI), introduced by AHDB in August 2014, promotes milk quality rather than volume and was designed to ensure important genetics areas like milk solids are maintained or improved.

AHDB’s Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) now also has a reasonable weighting towards fat and protein.

Mr Dodd maintains that despite the assumed prominence of certain breeds, dairy farmers should focus on traits.

All breeds are suitable for these sorts of milk contracts; it’s more about selecting the right bulls and the right cows, he says.

“Look at genetic traits rather than breeds. Look at where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and look to maintain your strengths and address your weaknesses at the same time.

“It’s very much about what you’ve got now, and what you can improve. The more naturally you can do it the better.”

Nutrition and limiting free oil

With genetics and calving addressed, nutrition is the next area to focus on.

Cow nutrition specialist Phil Clarke recommends a high intake of forage – whether grass or total mixed ration – to increase butyrate levels, which contributes to the production of milk containing higher levels of fat.

If grazing, he advises topping up with silage, if there is not sufficient grass, to achieve a high forage to concentrate ratio, this will lead to high levels of butyrate rather than acetate.

The aim should be for a minimum of 60% and a maximum of 100% forage, but not any lower than 60% on a dry matter basis.

“Basically, you want a healthier rumen that digests forage. Healthy cows will produce high levels of fat and protein. The more concentrate you feed may increase protein levels, but it will reduce fat levels,” he says.

Ease of transition from a diet high in concentrates depends on a farmer’s ability to produce or get access to forage, he says.

“It’s not just about pulling concentrates,” he says. “It’s about producing sufficient amounts of forage. Otherwise, you’ll lose production.”

Lastly, dairy farmers should aim to limit the amount of free oil in the diet. These free oils, which are found in high concentrations in distillers’ grains and confectionary and biscuit meals, will create an “oil slick” in the rumen, which will prevent the digestion of fibre.

Having made these changes, he says farmers should be aiming to produce 8,000 and 9,000 litres of milk per cow per year at 4.4% butterfat and 3.45% protein.

For quick gains, farmers can change from starch-based to fibre-based feeds, says Mr Clarke. Farmers must also be happy to lose a few litres, he says.

“Don’t be transfixed on litres, focus on what you’re going to be paid for – fat and protein. It’ll be difficult to get your head round because in the past you might have produced 30 litres/day at 3.8% and 3.2% for example.

“Dropping it to 28 litres and getting higher levels of protein and fat is a positive step,” he says.

“You need to start looking at cost of production per kilogramme of solids, not per litre. It’s alien to UK farmers, but it will become common very, very soon,” he adds.