Managing 18:2 risk is twofold: 1) How many grams are sent to the rumen? 2) How rumen-exposed are those grams? Too many 18:2 grams with high rumen exposure can increase trans fatty acids leaving the rumen that result in lowered milkfat percent.

• While many factors affect milk fat, 18:2 sits at the root of the mechanism for lowering milk fat
• 18:2 is highly prevalent in our dairy diets, including in corn, corn silage, distillers & cottonseed
• Monitor variability of 18:2 grams closely, especially in high volume sources (corn silage) or those with greater rumen exposure (ie. distillers and bakery) to minimize risk of losing milk fat