Low-fat milk benefits cattle as well as humans

Manipulating rations to reduce the saturated fat content of milk could bring health benefits to cows as well as humans, the British Cattle Breeders Club Conference in Telford heard.

Farley Farms estate manager and chair of the Marks & Spencer milk pool Mark Robins believes exclusion of palm oil from the ration has helped improve fertility in Farley Farm’s 200 cow herd.

“We’ve seen better conception rates and stronger bulling, which I think could be linked to the exclusion of palm oil,” he said.

Replacing calcium soap with Linseed to help drive down saturated fat levels in milk had also resulted in a high coat bloom, similar to that often seen at turnout.

Such changes to cow feeding have been part of a strategy to reduce milk saturated fat (SFA) levels in the M&S milk pool to less than 69%.

In fact, following the launch of low saturated fat milk in October 2011, M&S suppliers had dropped SFA by 6%. This followed growing concerns over the negative implications of SFA on human health – specifically heart disease and obesity – and the fact that 25% of SFAs come from dairy products.

However, Mr Robins stressed there was no set way to reduce SFA levels in milk. “It’s not about what you feed, it’s the outcome that’s important,” he said.

However, as a point of difference, M&S suppliers are not allowed to feed palm oil products or GM soya. Consequently they receive an extra 0.34ppl for low SFA milk and 0.4ppl for feeding non-GM soya.

Because milk saturated fat levels are shown to drop naturally when cows go out to grass and rise again at housing, Mr Robins said the aim was to mirror spring grass in winter.

To help understand what other factors influence milk SFA levels, the SRUC (formerly SAC), NMR and M&S are undertaking a UK-wide trial on 210 herds.

NMR’s Ben Bartlett said initial findings showed huge range in SFA levels on individual farms from 58% up to the high 70s.

“We’re one year in to the four-year trial. We want to find out how fatty acid profiles can be used to predict animal health and welfare, latitude effects on FA profile and how body condition score correlates to FA data,” he said.