Milk protein testing

You probably noticed certain notations on previous pages of our website, A1/A1, A1/A2, or A2/A2. This refers to the A2 Beta Casein milk protein trait that an American Milking Devon cow can have. Cows that have both A2 genes, will produce A2 milk. Some studies claim that A2 milk is easier to digest by some people. We do not specifically select cows or bulls for this genetic trait, but we do test all of our cattle, and we have several head that do have both A2 genes. There are three additional milk protein traits that we test our cows for that have a significant effect on the cheese making qualities of the milk. These traits are Kappa Casein, Beta Casein AB, and Beta Lactoglobulin. Kappa Casein is a non-whey protein associated with increased protein yield and percentage. Beta Casein is a protein associated with improved cheese making. Beta Lactoglobulin is a major whey protein that has a significant effect on cheese yield. As I have said before, I am NOT an expert on cheese making, or the milk proteins for that matter, but I will share my knowledge as I learn more. I am sure there is a lot of information available out there, that you can research in your spare time. Ha, who has spare time these days?