Too Much Butterfat? Not Enough Protein — and What to Do About It Genetically

Michigan Livestock Service, Inc — "For the Best in Bulls" and "High Energy Forages" 110 N Main St (PO Box 661) Ovid, MI 48866 📞 (989) 834-2661 | ✉️ greg@michiganlivestock.com | 🌐 www.michiganlivestock.com

Mark Curry (989) 984-7027 — Route Services and Sales Sue Palen (989) 277-0480 — Office Manager, Products Manager Greg Palen (989) 277-6031 — "aAa" Approved Analyzer, Certified Seed Specialist

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We hear a lot of concern over milk price trends. A year ago, the Federal Order system quietly gave processors an extra 95 cents for "make allowances" (costs of processing milk). Understanding why was harder, but as butterfat price went down, official pronouncements finally told all and sundry: "you are producing TOO MUCH Butterfat!" Rising protein prices are not making up the difference yet.

However, at the root of the higher make allowances was that for cheese makers — who now use more milk than any other sector, including bottling — there is a lot of extra expense when they have to skim cream out of raw milk to reach the ideal fat-to-protein ratio for cheese curd formation. Also at fault is the emergence of the "E" gene for Kappa Casein (frequently found in higher Genomic rank sires), which lowers cheese yields dramatically. Some pooled loads of milk have been rejected by cheese makers for not setting an economic quantity of cheese!

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Breeding Selection for Protein

The late Pete Blodgett (GM for Landmark Genetics, which became Alta Genetics) developed some unique bulls who were plus for Protein % with high milk yields but — to satisfy California FMO fat quotas — were really low for Butterfat %. But in the near-universal adoption of "multiple Component pricing" here and in Europe, such bulls fell out of favor. Today it has become difficult to sell bulls "minus" for butterfat %, so the genetic base for Fat has climbed alongside feeding strategies that encourage Fat (e.g., roasted high oil soybeans).

But at this point in time, we need to look toward bulls who are meaningfully "plus" for Protein % and avoid bulls who carry the "E" gene for Kappa Casein — favor AA, AB or BB Kappa Casein.

Here are some useful examples from Triple Hill Sires:

Sire	Protein %	Kappa Casein
525HO146 Feature -P	+.10%	BB
525LD 101 Horizon P Red	+.11%	AB
525HO135 Radix -P *RC	+.08%	AB
525HO140 Genesis -P *RC	+.09%	AA
525HO117 Rex PP Red	+.05%	AB
525HO138 Challenger Red	+.09%	AA
525HO131 Lion King B/R	+.07%	AB
525HO142 Lu-Tenant Red	+.05%	AA
525HO132 Felon	+.05%	AA
525HO133 Bushwacker	+.05%	AA

Combining all our bull sources, we can help dramatically improve Protein% and Cheese Yields.

Teat Length and Teat Placement: Genetic Trends and Selection Strategies

Mich Livestock Service, Inc — "For the Best in Bulls" and "High Energy Forages" 110 N Main St (PO Box 661) Ovid, MI 48866 📞 (989) 834-2661 | ✉️ greg@michiganlivestock.com | 🌐 www.michiganlivestock.com

Mark Curry (989) 984-7027 — Route Services and Sales Sue Palen (989) 277-0480 — Office Manager, Products Manager Greg Palen (989) 277-6031 — "aAa" Approved Analyzer, Certified Seed Specialist

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Forty years ago when I was breeding Jerseys, the breed had a terrific issue with reverse tilted udders and asymmetrical teat placement (too wide in front, too close in rear). The source of these problems were primarily the index world's fixation on sons and grandsons of Observer Chocolate Soldier. This basically proved that linebreeding to an "index", concentrating on a ranked sire line without regard to genetic structural differences, leads us to problems.

Today we have a similar issue in Holsteins. Udders are moving forward under the pelvis, the rear teats are only half the size/length of the fore teats, and fore teats are moving wider. The linear solution is to create "robot ready" indexes (drawing sales away from the dominance of the Genomic Observer sire line — an ironic coincidence of names!), but addressing the cause of these problems requires more thought than a sales gimmick slogan.

For most people, the biggest issue is teats too short. Linear graphs show a majority of ranked sires are "left of the average line" for teat length. Here are some favorites of ours, sourced by AI Total who bucked this trend and will keep your udders more "milkable":

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Vogue A2P2 -PP (aAa 3 1 5 2 4 6) — +0.50 teat length @ 94% Rel. | Also A2A2 Beta Casein Now an Elite sire of polled sons, recently scored 97 points at seven years of age!

Aurora Blackjack -P (aAa 4 5 3 2 1 6) — +0.73 teat length | Both A2A2 Beta C and BB Kappa C Like "A2P2" he is significantly "plus" for both Butterfat% and Protein% and lower Somatic Cell

Lorita Sphinx -PP (aAa 2 4 3 1 6 5) — +0.97 teat length | Both A2A2 Beta C and BB Kappa C Another high butterfat% and protein% combination, with calving ease and +0.4 DPR to boot

Siemers Tao Prada (aAa 5 6 1 4 3 2) — +1.38 teat length | Both A2A2 Beta C and BB Kappa C Plus butterfat%, plus protein%, high +1.4 DPR, calving ease; source of wide, sturdy front ends

Designing a Breeding Program that gives you a “future” herd

  

Can anyone predict where the dairy industry is heading?    It is easier to predict changes you need to make to increase your competitive edge.    One of these is to bring your Protein production up to match recent gains in Butterfat.    Another is to create MORE ROBUST, MORE CAPACIOUS, MORE MOBILE trouble-free cows to match your milking, housing and feeding environments.

Genetics is not well utilized if all you consider is “ranking” today.    You have to build a cow that is adaptable to future changes, that will have the vigor to live a full life  (not die just as she should get rolling after a second or third calf).    The combination of higher mature production and lower replacement costs gives you the economic edge that the average cow does not give the average dairy today.

If accomplishing this from breeding seems perplexing to you, give us a chance to add some direction to your matings and provide some useful outcross sires.

Mich Livestock Service   “For the best in bulls”  and high energy seeds to feed them

               Ph (989) 834- 2661           email:  greg@michiganlivestock.com

The importance of good front-end structure for longer cow life

  

Linear mating concepts are much more focused on the rear end (hind legs and feet + udders) than they are on front ends (which also have legs and feet!).    Thus in many herds, problems accumulate in how cows walk, get in and out of stalls, and breathe.                        

Hoof trimmers point out problems in front legs and feet leading to chronic lameness
A poor front foot stance (uneven weight bearing between inner and outer claws) will often lead to lameness.    Your hoof trimmer takes the excess off the toe carrying less weight.    Next time he comes, he sees same cow, and trims the same problem.    You cannot fix a poor front foot by hoof trimming.   It is a problem caused by bad mating selection; she will have this all her life.

The chest of cows need to be deep enough to house a fully functioning heart and wide enough to fully and easily inflate the lungs.    Thus a triangulated (“wedge shape”) front end is best.   In  such a front end, the elbow places the foreleg “out” to provide a more sturdy stance, the feet will point straight ahead (rather than spindled to the side) and the weight bearing will be even from side to side.    Cows will get up and down easily, and feet will wear evenly, minimizing the need for hoof trimming.    ( Interestingly, you will find the head on the cow proportional to the dimensions of the front end. )

A proportional front end will carry that proportionality into the body
When the front end of the cow has the desired wedge shape, you will find the body also has a desirable “wedge shape” (over the topline, from “sharp” shoulders the back expands to “broad” hips: in side view, the ribs sweep back at an angle from elbows getting longer as they approach the flank at the joining of fore udder to body wall).

Ribs need to be both “elastic” and deep, NOT tight and shallow.     When the skeletal frame has these three “triangle” dimensions, you will have fully functioning ruminant digestion.

But the front end is the “engine” of the cow, housing heart (blood circulation) and lungs (blood oxygenation) essential to maintaining the body for a full productive life.    286 pounds of blood circulate through the udder for every pound of milk the cow produces!     So capacity in a front end should not be overlooked in your mating selection process.

How does the “aAa” process aid you to consistently produce good front ends?

aAa #1 “DAIRY”  lengthens the neck, triangulates from shoulder to elbow, and broadens hips.
aAa #4 “STRONG”  makes a deeper chest for a larger heart (stronger blood circulation)
aAa # 5 “SMOOTH”  widens the elbow, sets the front leg sturdier, shapes the foot evenly

Bulls  with  great  front  ends

The “modern” cow had its origin in the mid 1960s.    The two most transformative Holstein bulls into that era were Osborndale Ivanhoe and Romandale Reflection Marquis.    “Ivanhoe” was “Tall” and “Dairy”:  “Marquis” was “Tall” and “Strong”.
  
Type classification and Show judging were both changing in favor of such bulls at that time and set the breed up for a rapid improvement in the pace of production, and the ability of cows to have a full lifetime of production, as bulls who sired cows whose production increased as they reached maturity and held steady into older ages.     The “Tall” features they offered, which we now associate with the production of bovine somatotropin (“growth hormone”) helped as the dairy nutrition industry focused on utilizing more corn and oilseeds as production supplement.

Both these bulls had good front ends.    “Ivanhoe” could add refinement while “Marquis” added substance and strength;  these blended well with the “Burke” and  “Dunloggin” bloodlines that dominated early AI programs prior to the advent of frozen semen, that often led to smaller and frailer cow physiques.

What do we seem to need now?     W I D E R  front ends
Here are some choices that will restore width to the narrow front-ended cow.

525 HO 117   Rex PP Red        (aAa 5 4 6 3 1 2)    sturdy front legs, deep chest                Triple Hil
A2A2 for Beta Casein, AB for Kappa Casein.    Improves Protein %          
In combining the “Roxy” and “Apple” cow lines, gains milk yield dramatically into maturity.

515 HO 452   Prada                 (aAa 5 6 1 4 2 3)     sturdy, wide chests, deep rib                A I Total 
A2A2 for Beta Casein, BB for Kappa Casein.   Improves Butterfat % and Protein %
Look to him to improve milkout, this bull helps teats both in placement and length.

54 HO 1156  Pace Setter       (aAa  4 6 2 5 1 3)     deep chest, durable bones                    No Bull
This brand new “No Bull Solutions” sire from Regancrest’s “Barbie” family is a “special” one
His dam is now working on her third lactation and looks capable of 40,000 pounds    

799HO 045  Dynasty             (aAa  3 4 5 2 1 6)     wide at both ends, great rumps            Blondin
A2A2 for Beta Casein, BB for Kappa Casein.   Improves butterfat % and Protein %.
#1 Type of Progeny Proven bulls USA (December 2025)  another Kings Ransom success story

733HO 012  Goliath PP        (aAa  1 2 3 5 4 6)     ultimate “wedge shape” physique         A G 3
A2A2 for Beta Casein, BB for Kappa Casein.    No extremes in linear evaluation.
Combines today’s two leading ranked PP sires:  Stantons Remover PP and Vogue A2P2 PP

WHAT IS THE IDEAL RATIO OF BUTTERFAT% TO PROTEIN% FOR CHEESE?

  

CONCEPTIONS   Dairy Route Newsletter             Feb-March 2026

Mark Curry        (989) 984- 7027      Route service and sales

Sue Palen           (989) 277- 0480      Office manager, orders coordinator

Greg Palen         (989) 277- 6031      “aAa” Breeding Guide, certified seed specialist

MICH LIVESTOCK SERVICE, Inc   “For the Best in Bulls” and “High Energy Forages”
110 N Main St   (PO Box 661)   Ovid,  MI  48866   *** phone (989) 834- 2661  fax (989) 834- 2914
www.michiganlivestock.com        email:  greg@michiganlivestock.com         (also on “Facebook”)

 

Hilmar Cheese Company in central California was founded by a dozen committed Jersey dairies who were struggling for profitability back in the 1980s under California’s “fat quota” pricing (an order that believed animal fats were health trouble for humans, and which assumed most milk was going into a bottle rather than into butterfat or casein products, typical of USDA’s thinking).

Today, Hilmar is a nationally recognized cheese producer and the Jersey dairies who are primary suppliers to their plant are very healthy financially.    The blend of milk they process daily is in a ratio of 4.5% butterfat to 3.6% protein.    Over 80% of the cows whose milk flows to Hilmar are BB for Kappa Casein (of which the Jersey breed is the clear leader), and the “cheese yield” from this milk is substantially higher (15% more) than you find in typical cheese plants utilizing milk from a cooperative pool.    

As the traditional Jersey cow was always 5% butterfat (or even higher, a few cows reaching 7%) why would a cheese plant owned by Jersey dairymen not seek for that level today?   Simply that the limiting factor is the percentage of protein.     When 5% Jersey milk was desired for cheese, the typical Jersey also produced 4% protein…  80% of the level of butterfat.    As we bred Jerseys to milk more, the percentage of components declined, but the ratio between pr% and bf% that is desired for direct-vat cheese-making is still easily achieved in the Jersey breed.

The same can be said for Brown Swiss, and the traditional “Swiss Cheese” was able to be made directly from Brown Swiss milk without any skimming  (4.2% bf and 3.4% pr with high frequency of BB Kappa Casein).    BB Kappa Casein gives you the highest curd forming milk in any breed.

 

Should a replacement heifer look like a well-fed steer ?

      When you put it that way, I expect you would all say “NO”.    According to Dr Jan Bonsma (late of South Africa (as well as Texas A&M) back into the 1970s), his studies in endocrinology (glandular functions)  led him to postulate,  “Bulls should look masculine, and the best ones will produce a cow that looks feminine.”    Cows with a “bully” (blocky) look generally do not have an optimal level of natural fertility, nor are they reliably “maternal” in behavior at and after calving.

Statistically, the beef “breed” with the poorest breeding record is the “Club Calf composite”.   It is not that surprising given that the primary genetic selection criteria in club calf breeding is the ability to grow coarse hair and the predominance of steer traits in the physique.   After a couple generations of such bulls, the retained females start to look more “clubby” than truly feminine.   With the decline of feminine qualities, natural fertility follows, and then maternal behavior.

Given the prevalence of CIDR use and OvSynch to get “clubby” females bred for optimal calving dates, loss of natural fertility  (which occurs gradually over generations)  is not always detected.   But it should be a consideration in which females you need for commercial beef replacements.

Growth rates are also not always as good in clubby herds as they might be in straight-bred cow herds, as well.    While the original clubby bulls  (representing three way crosses)  exhibited lots of hybrid vigor, this disappears when crossbred cows get bred to crossbred bulls over multiple generations.    Studies in both Beef and Dairy herds have shown that when using crossbred bulls we get better results in growth rates and the feminine quality of heifers if their dams are mostly purebred cows  (especially those sired by successfully linebred bulls).    

Maintaining heterosis  (hybrid vigor)  is easier when one side of the mating is linebred.    You get consistency from the linebred cows, while you get genotype variation from the crossbred bulls.    Clubby bull lines began from the desire to gain the heterosis possible from two and three way breed crosses among performance-type sires.     But the availability of straight-breed cows to be bred at that time is what made the whole process work spectacularly at first.   

Tri Shield - The premium choice to provide calf immunity to scours

   ImmuCell Corporation in Portland Maine has been producing ORAL scours vaccines for a couple decades.    This is a colostrum-based product:  Tri-Shield is drawn from healthy cows vaccinated for three major causes of calf scours deaths:    Rotavirus     Coronavirus     K99 E. Coli

This product was developed to be their successor to “First Defense”, which covered two of the three diseases listed above.    We sold  “First Defense”  successfully for years, so it was exciting when this new “three way” oral vaccine came on the market.

Production is now catching up to demand and we are keeping stock in our store.    This should be refrigerated until you are ready to use it.    There are twelve single-dose syringes in a box.

We also have available for delivery, cidrs for timed breedings and estrotect stickers for heat detection.