Seasonal influences on the flow properties of milk powder

In both colder and warmer weather, milk powder may look different from what you’re used to. Why is this? Different seasons affect the flow properties of your milk powder. In cold weather, for example, the fat in milk powder can become harder, making it less likely to clump. This also means that the automatic feeder requires less effort or time to dispense the milk powder in winter. It is therefore advisable to check that your automatic feeder is working properly as the seasons change.

This applies to both milk powders for calves and lambs and goat kids. In this article, we’d like to tell you more!

Influencing the flow properties of your milk powder

In cold weather, milk powder can become thinner or sometimes even a little dustier. In warm weather, on the other hand, milk powder is often a bit stickier. We refer to this as its ‘flow properties’ – how powdery or, conversely, greasy, how thin or sticky the powder appears. These flow properties are important for the user-friendliness and performance of the milk powder, particularly in automatic feeders. Why?

You want the powder to flow easily through the dispenser outlet of the automatic feeder without causing bridging; excessive dust or an uncontrolled flow.

That is why these aspects of the milk powder are fine-tuned for each formulation. This can be achieved, for example, by adding additives that improve flowability or, conversely, by applying more anti-caking oil to make the powder slightly stickier and less dusty.

Seasonal factors

The flow properties of milk powders depend on the raw materials, but are also affected by the seasons. In summer, when it is warm, the powder is often stickier because the small amount of anti-caking oil on it becomes soft and sticky. In winter, however, this oil is hard, making the powder less sticky. Think of butter that you have to spread on your sandwich straight from the fridge, or butter at room temperature. The latter is also much softer and stickier. This also means that the automatic feeder requires less effort or time to dispense the milk powder in winter. It is therefore advisable to check, as the seasons change, whether the feeder is still dispensing the correct amount of powder.

“Flow properties – something you don’t normally give a second thought to, but which you do experience every day when you use the milk powder.”

Video showing the difference in flow properties

In our laboratory, all incoming raw materials are visually assessed for their flow properties, and we can use a so-called ‘tap test’ to examine the flow properties of the milk powder on a small scale. In the video, you can see two types of milk powder. One has extremely good flow properties, whilst the other is somewhat stickier and therefore gets stuck in the hopper. The excellent flow properties are essential for special automatic feeders goat kids, where the powder would otherwise get stuck. Fortunately, the well-known German automatic feeders s are not particularly susceptible to this. In the video, you can also see a final product that flows well.

Research in practice

To test the powder under real-world conditions, we have a climate chamber equipped with various automatic feeders (see photo). In this chamber, we can raise the temperature to 40°C and increase the humidity so that we can, for example, simulate a tropical climate. In this way, we can ensure that our milk powders perform well in all feeding systems, regardless of climate or season. That is why we devote a great deal of attention to optimising this process.

If, following this article, you have any questions about the use of milk powder in your feeding systems, please do not hesitate to contact one of our young stock specialists; they will be happy to assist you.