A Test for Determining the Character of the Curd from Cows’ Milk and Its Application to the Study of Curd Variance as an Index to the Food Value of Milk for Infants

Abstract

Summary A curd test has been developed whereby the degree of hardness of the curd of cows’ milk can be determined. By means of this test the dairy herd of the Utah Agricultural College has been classified on the basis of the curd character of the milk. This classification extends over a period of more than six months and includes cows in all stages of lactation. As a result of these studies it has been shown that each cow had an individual milk curd character that was fairly regular throughout her entire lactation period, but in general it hardened during the first part of the period to soften again toward the latter end of the normal lactation period. The curd tension of the harder curded milk was sometimes as much as 10 times as great as the curd tension of the softer curded milk. The individual difference in curd character was independent of breed and fat content of the milk. The Jersey breed as an average, however, had a much harder curded milk than the Holstein breed, yet some of the Jerseys had a softer curded milk than the harder curded Holsteins.