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How NZ's newfound love of fat is changing the colour of cattle

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rura...-of-cattle.html

TLDR: Kiwi consumers smarter than Kiwi scientists when it comes to saturated fat

Quote:

The colour of New Zealand's cattle herds is changing, and it's all because of fat.

Fawn-coloured Jersey cows produce more fat in their milk than black and white Holstein Friesians, and farmers are getting paid more for fat because consumers no longer believe it's so bad.

Farming experts expect that to result in Jerseys taking over the bloodline.

"All cows produce fat in their milk, but Jerseys do produce more - that's what they're renowned for," says Alison Gibb, the president of Jersey NZ.

Ms Gibb been farming Jerseys since they were last in vogue, roughly 40 years ago.

"This is a very wet farm, so of course they are a lighter footprint on this soil type," she says. "They're a curious, friendly animal and they produce well."

Then came the 1950s and 1960s, when saturated fat was established as an enemy of public health. Consumers didn't want fat in their milk and farmers were paid more for protein.

Now consumers want fat again, on the back of recent trends such as the paleo diet - and dairy companies are responding.

Eight years ago fat was worth 30 percent of the payout. Now it's double that, and industry experts predict that the trend will continue.

Professor Keith Woodford says there'll be a gradual transition of farmers choosing to introduce more Jersey into their bloodlines.

"The colours of the cows are likely to change - it'll occur slowly."

Professor Woodford says farmers won't get the full price signals for another one to two years, but they'll see the trend and will need to make a decision as to what bull to use. From then, it'll be nearly three years before the colour change comes through into the milking herd.

This trend is all down to the consumer.

"Consumers have said rightly or wrongly that butter's back in favour, so the price of butter is at an all-time record," Professor Woodford says.

But health experts say consumers are wrong, and not all fat is good.

"Butter is pure, unadulterated saturated fat - and saturated fat is the main cause of heart disease," Rodney Jackson says.

The University of Auckland health science professor believes the fat fad won't last.

"The whole high-fat, low-carb dietary fad is moving away from the bad fats," Professor Jackson says. "Bad fats" are saturated fat - such as butter, cream and coconut oil.

But whether they're right or wrong, consumers drive the market - and as long as fat's in fashion, so too is the brown cow.

That sounds great!!
Nice to read this, we're making progress then.
More yummy butter and cream for all of us :yum:
Soon low-fat milk will be banished from the stores and only fed to
hogs as was it's use before they convinced humans to consume it...

Love Jerseys!!! They are a small fawn colored cow with the cutest face....and the milk with the highest milk fat.

Jerseys are an A2 producer too as I remember.

IMO this fad will not die out......

Quote:

A2 mutated into A1 in certain breeds thousands of years ago; it is A1 that is found in milk from Holsteins and other high-producing western milk cows, while A2 predominates in Jersey, Guernsey and most Asian and African breeds.https://highlawnfarm.com/our-products/health-benefits/

I've just been starting to see A2 milk in a regional store. I don't drink milk anymore but I bought some A2 whey protein, and the flavor seemed reminiscent of milk I remembered in my childhood. I remember seeing more "brown cows" on the farms back then.

OMG that Professor Jackson is just so precious!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyHW

OMG that Professor Jackson is just so precious!

Bless his heart.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLx

Now if they could just get more whole fat/no sugar yogurt in the stores, other than in the big tub. I wouldn't mind some flavored stuff with stevia or something too. That Triple Zero stuff has the weirdest mouth feel, and too sweet. I choke it down sometimes just for a quick protein fix, or mix it with kefir but it's still not good.

I've just been starting to see A2 milk in a regional store. I don't drink milk anymore but I bought some A2 whey protein, and the flavor seemed reminiscent of milk I remembered in my childhood. I remember seeing more "brown cows" on the farms back then.

I struggle to find good yogurt-- I actually must go to WHole Foods, gup. I did see individual serving sizes--- for a small fortune. double gulp.

Yes, often jerseys were kept to add the butterfat that the Holsteins dont produce. Oddly, the milk is sold by the hundred weight based on the butter fat content. Odd as the government was squashing fat consumptionf for a while , some 40 years. Obviously with some countries now running short on butter, these Jersey girls have regained popularity.

Last I knew, RUssia was building a 100,000 dairy facility on the border of China--- help feed their diabetes epidemic. Saddly. Likely to be Holsteins. I would be cautious about introducing this milk to people that are not milk drinkers. ANd if they do, it is the old cattle like a yak mostly likely.

I've seen this yogurt in local stores lately - siggi's - "thick, creamy, and rich in protein, skyr is the traditional yogurt of Iceland". It's all been the nonfat stuff, but it seems they make full fat yogurt and even unsweetened yogurt and "triple cream" yogurt, only that one has sugar. https://siggis.com/products/#?productSection=skyr

I have an Instant Pot and an easy-peasy recipe to make it cold, with Fairlife milk which has extra protein and fewer carbs. I could do that. Or strain the whey out of the big tub of Stoneyfield, but sometimes I just want to grab a small cup at the store, dammit. Before I stopped eating sugar, I used to buy Chobani by the case at Costco. Loved the peach flavor.

Love Siggi-- on sale.

I really wish flavored individual serving without added sugar..... that would be good for my kids.

Organic Valley is pretty good. Not like Siggi-- that is gourmet quality dessert stufff. But a good option IMO.

No A2 yogurts yet. Maybe in another year.

Baby jersey pics

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...6&bih=619&dpr=1

Jerseys are the smallest dairy breed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms Arielle

Baby jersey pics

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1...6&bih=619&dpr=1

Jerseys are the smallest dairy breed.

They look almost like deer.

Yes!!! Very cute babies. Moms are quite small, for a dairy cow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ms Arielle

No A2 yogurts yet. Maybe in another year.

Whole Foods carries Traders Point Creamery. I first found it in quart bottles there. It's largely A2. I read an article (can't find it right now) where they were talking about moving the herd to all A2.

Here's their FAQ about the herd

Quote:

Is your milk A1 or A2?

For some people this question, which concerns a particular type of protein in milk, is important for the healthfulness and digestibility of the milk. Genetic testing has revealed that about two-thirds of our herd are A2/A2. We believe in the value of A2 milk and are working toward our whole herd having an A2/A2 genetic makeup, which is a gradual shift for us to manage. Much of the milk supply for our products comes from our partner farms – other small family-owned Indiana dairy farms whose organic, 100% grassfed milk augments our own herd’s supply. We are leading the way among these farms in prioritizing A2 genetics.

I'm guessing even Siggi's is made from A1 milk? Unless it's Jersey milk not the more common Holstein? Not actually planning to buy it presently, since I suspect I may be sensitive to A1 casein. Other common brands of whole milk yogurt didn't seem to work for me and I suspect that might be why. The raw milk dairy closest by genetically tested all their cows and posted a discreet list for those interested in knowing. Discreet meaning it's not obvious what the list refers to unless you ask the farmer. He has some non-A2 Jerseys that are good milkers he'd like to sell from for those who don't have a preference. I've made fermented milk products from his A2 milk, since I haven't seen any at the stores.

Follow-up article: Milk fat now worth more to farmers than protein

Quote:

In what is the most significant change to global dairy trade in the past 20 years, milk fat will earn dairy farmers more than protein in the 2018-19 season.

DairyNZ strategy and investment leader Dr Bruce Thorrold said fat had been a low value milk component but had seen a steady rise in recent seasons due to consumer-driven market value.

''That's a welcome change for New Zealand dairy farmers who are set to receive a strong 2018-19 milk price, buoyed by the value of milk fat.''

Milk price and the relative value of fat and protein are the biggest factors in the breeding worth (BW) of dairy cattle.

The changes in fat price have produced large shifts in BW both between and within breeds.

Of the top 200 bulls by BW in 2019 (BW2019), 70% are Jersey, 5% Holstein-Friesian and 25% Cross-Bred (Jersey and Holstein-Friesian), Dr Thorrold said.

On average, Jersey bulls are increasing by $23 BW while Holstein-Friesian decrease by $28 BW. Cross-bred and Ayrshire bulls are relatively unchanged (-$4 and -$3 BW).

Within breeds, individual bulls will shift up or down by as much as $40 BW relative to their breed's average shift.

New Zealand Animal Evaluation (NZAEL), a wholly owned subsidiary of DairyNZ, administers a BW index, which is used to rank cows and bulls according to their ability to meet the national breeding objective of breeding dairy cows that will be the most efficient converters of feed into profit for farmers.

NZAEL has recently finalised the economic factors that will be used to calculate BW from February 2019.

Dr Thorrold said due to a sizeable shift in fat and protein value, BW2019 is being published early for all sires enrolled with NZAEL, this will give farmers insights into which bulls can add the most value to their breeding programme in a market where fat is a high value component.

The economic values for fat and protein are calculated by partitioning the milk solids price into a value for fat and protein, and then accounting for the cost of producing each component.

The value of fat relative to protein has been increasing for the past three seasons and this trend is forecast to continue.

New Zealand is uniquely positioned to take full advantage of strong demand for fat-based milk products due to the strong influence of Jersey genes in the national herd.

Dr Thorrold said the shift in consumer demand for fat and the consequent change in BW are big changes for dairy farmers.

''If current fat prices are maintained, then the shift in favour of high fat bulls will continue next year.''