Glossary > Feed Ingredients > SKIM MILK

Milk contains almost all nutrients required by animals. Although milk products are excellent feeds, their cost prohibits extensive use for all but young animals.

Skim milk is milk from which most of the fat has been removed but in which all the protein remains. The protein has a high biological value and is very digestible. Skim milk is a good source of Water Soluble Vitamins, whereas the Fat Soluble Vitamins (A and D) are removed with the fat. 

Various viable options are available for using skim milk in feeding systems for calves (bucket, cooling, formic acid treatment, etc.) and swine. Skim milk is an excellent feed for swine and would be a viable feed ingredient when the price is competitive or when there is an excess supply. Gains in growing swine were increased when skim milk was fed . Normally it is more economical to feed liquid skim milk than dried skim milk and the normal bacterial acidification was found to be the cheapest method of stabilization.

Liquid skim milk that had been stabilized with formic acid was found to be more palatable in swine feeding applications as compared to hydrochloric acid stabilized skim milk . Formaldehyde stabilization of skim milk fed to calves has been evaluated and shown to increase gains.