Increasing milkfat and protein components of milk can raise the value of milk for producers. Milkfat comes from two sources. Preformed fat comes from fat present in the diet or body reserves. Other fat results from synthesis in the udder, and this is called de novo or “new” fat.
Mike Hutjens, PhD, shared ways feeding and management can affect de novo fatty acid synthesis in a recent webinar summarized in the article linked here.
Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, March 27, 2023. Link.