Yes, feed composition is a large determinant factor of cow’s milk quality/ consistency. Have you heard the old saying … “You are what you eat”? Well, this saying holds especially true for cows.
The quality of milk produced by a cow is determined by what the cow eats. A cow produces milk from the components of the food that it consumes. In most parts of North America, in Europe, and in Oceania, cows are pasture fed. Throughout the year, with varying intensities of sunlight and temperature, pasture grasses change in composition. In spring, the grasses are a dark green, filled with chlorophyll and carotene. In fall, field grasses start to dry up. The nutrients in those grasses changes constantly throughout the milking cycle. If the feed composition is constantly changing, the resultant milk composition also changes. The diet of pasture fed cows is strictly up to the whims of nature.
The herds of the farmer/partners of Idaho Milk Products do not feed on field grasses. They are fed a scientifically formulated diet consisting of a mix of grains, corn, and grasses. Staff veterinarians carefully plan the diets. Dietary composition is carefully monitored to ensure the same levels of required nutrients every day of the year. The result is milk that is compositionally the same throughout the year. IdaPro MPC/MPI manufactured from this milk can be expected to be consistent in quality all year.