A previous survey of mouse inbred strains revealed a wide range in self-selected fat intake, from 26 to 83% of energy. The BALB/cByJ strain selected a lower percentage of fat intake (36%) than all other strains tested except for the CAST/Ei. BALB/cByJ mice are deficient in the short chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) enzyme due to a spontaneous mutation in Acads. We hypothesized that this deficiency would alter fat appetite and used three behavioral test paradigms to compare the response of BALB/cByKz.Acads -/- and BALB/cByKz.Acads +/+ mice to fat stimuli. First, during 10 d exposure to a macronutrient self-selection diet, Acads -/- mice consumed proportionately less fat and more carbohydrate than Acads +/+ mice, yet total energy intake was similar between strains. Next, in 48 h two-bottle preference tests, Acads +/+ mice displayed a preference for 50% corn oil but Acads -/- mice did not. Finally, in brief-access taste tests employing successive, 5 s presentations of corn oil in an ascending concentration series ending with 50%, there were no effects of strain on total licks indicating that Acads does not alter acute orosensory response to this fat stimulus. With 15 s presentations however, the Acads +/+ mice licked more of the 50% corn oil than Acads -/- suggesting orosensory effects related to the increased exposure time. In contrast to corn oil, there were no strain differences in licking response to sucrose solution in either the two-bottle or brief-access taste tests. The observation that SCAD-deficient mice display altered postingestive responses to dietary fat provides further evidence for the metabolic control of feeding.