ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



RELATION OF FEEDS TO SOLIDS IN MILK. 



R. S. Hulce, University of Illinois. 



More or less trouble is experienced each year by a number 

 of dairymen when they find that the milk that their herd is 

 producing is illegal because it does not come up to the state 

 standard in content of solids. To get the matter promptly be- 

 fore you a statement should be made explaining the state re- 

 quirements for milk solids. 



The definition of milk as stated by the State Food Com- 

 mission in its report for 1914 is as follows: '*Milk is fresh, 

 clean lacteal secretions obtained by the complete milking of one 

 or more healthy cows, properly fed and kept, excluding that 

 obtained within fifteen days before and ten days after calving, and 

 containing not less than 8I/2 Percent of solids not fat and not 

 less than 3 percent of butterfat." The same report of the State 

 Food Commission states that 50 of the 436 samples of milk 

 examined that year were found to be illegal. Thirty-one of the 

 50 contained less than 8^/2 percent of solids not fat, and fifteen 

 contained less than 3 percent of fat. Average milk contains, ac- 

 cording to Babcock about 9.14 percent of solids not fat and 3.69 

 percent of solids fat. 



1 propose to take up briefly certain factors such as the effect 

 of breed and lactation on the composition of milk, and then 

 discuss the effect on it of feed and of the influence of the 

 physical condition of the cow. Taking up the cjuestion of breed, 

 the average composition of the milk of anyone of the dairy breeds 

 is distinct from that of any other. The average solid content of 

 the milk for a year of the pure bred animals representing the 

 dairy breeds at the University of Illinois is as follows- 



Breed — Percent of fat Percent of solids not fat 



Jerseys 5.24 9.56 



Guernseys 4.87 9.02 



Ayrshires 4.20 8.70 



Holsteins 3.40 8.60 



