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.