An approach to identifying factors affecting milk protein concentration in dairy cattle

Milk protein production can be influenced by several factors, including environment, disease status, parity, stage of lactation, breed, genetic merit and the nutritional status of the animal (DePeters and Cant 1992). A combination of, or an interaction between, these factors can significantly affect milk protein production. Our study aims to identify the main factors affecting milk protein concentration in dairy cattle in the south-east Queensland region.