25% cream?

[cathleenc]

we've only had our milk cow for a few days now... but we keep getting a full 2 cups of cream in our 8 cup bottles! that's 25%..... she was the highest fat producer on the farm she left but tested at 7%. How come we are getting 25%? (it's consistent in every bottle for the last few milkings)

how much does fat change? what makes it change? is it because we're cutting way back on grain and her production is in the process of slowing down?

thanks
Cathy

[gone-a-milkin]

cathleen, I think the number 7% refers to her milkfat solids, not exactly to her 'cream'. Dont forget that cream is composed of several things, not just the fat.

[Murray in ME]

Originally Posted by gone-a-milkin

cathleen, I think the number 7% refers to her milkfat solids, not exactly to her 'cream'. Dont forget that cream is composed of several things, not just the fat.

I think you're right. It's a percentage of the fat solids, not a volume measurement. I think.

[matt_man]

If you wanted to get a rough estimate on fat %. You will have to make butter. If you can figure out how much cream you get from a gallon of milk and then how much butter you get from that cream you can get a pretty good estimate.

A gallon of milk weighs 8.6lbs. Whatever you end up with in weight in butter, multiply by 85%, because there's always a little bit of liquid left behind, and divide that by the weight of a gallon of milk. You will probably find it around that 7% mark or a little lower.