Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Award
Spring 4-16-2025
Abstract
The composition of milk plays a vital role in determining the quality of dairy products. However, there has been limited research on how key milk components have changed over time in the diverse production regions of Texas. This thesis seeks to achieve two main goals: first, to quantify long-term trends from 2007 to 2022 in butterfat percentage, protein percentage, and somatic cell count (SCC) across the ten Texas Dairy Marketing regions, and second, to assess whether the differences observed in these indicators across regions are statistically significant. Data from the USDA Southwest Milk Marketing Area provided insights at the regional level regarding butterfat, protein, SCC, and total milk production. I analyzed descriptive statistics for each variable to examine regional variations in milk composition and average milk production per producer on a computer software called SAS. The results indicated that, on a statewide level, there has been a significant increase in butterfat and protein percentages, while SCC has decreased, which reflects improvements in overall milk quality. Despite a nearly 30% reduction in the number of producers, the average output per producer has risen, suggesting productivity gains through consolidation. The ANOVA results confirmed significant regional differences (p < 0.05): the High Plains region consistently outperformed others in butterfat and protein yields while maintaining the lowest SCC, whereas regions like the Trans-Pecos showed slower improvements.
Advisor
Brooke Clemmons
Recommended Citation
van Dieden, Emma, "Milk Composition Variability in Texas Dairy Farms Over Time" (2025). Honors Theses. 266.
https://digitalcommons.tamuc.edu/honorstheses/266
