Early in the 20th century, researchers found that fat-free diets had adverse effects on growth in rats. This newly discovered “factor” was suspected to be a vitamin which they labeled at the time vitamin F.

One reasonable approach to enhance profitability in dairy farms is the strategic production of milk components without negatively affecting cow performance, health or reproduction. Although milkfat has been the main driver in the milk check during the last three years, milk protein production should not be overlooked.

On May 22, 2015, Walmart, one of the largest grocery retailers in the U.S., publicly stated their position on antibiotic use in farm animals. The company stated that “antibiotics should be used responsibly in farm animals” and outlined a specific set of instructions for its producers to accomplish this. Despite the concern about usage of antimicrobials in agriculture, very few studies have described antimicrobial usage in U.S. dairy herds:

Most livestock nutritionists recognize dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) as a source of fat and protein. As a result, researchers have devoted a significant amount of time and resources to better characterize the fat and amino acid components of DDGS.

Drought stress is usually the major limitation to forage yields. When drought has compromised tonnage of corn grain, silage producers may still retain part of its feeding value.

Feed continues to be the highest individual cost in confined dairy production systems. According to the USDA Economic Research Service (2016), during 2015 feed costs represented 56 percent of the total cost of producing milk in the U.S., progressively increasing during the last decade.