Goat milk flow during milking and its relationship with somatic cell count and milk yield and quality. Implications for subclinical mastitis diagnosis.

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to study the possible correlation between milk flow emission variables, biochemical parameters of the milk with somatic cell count, to determine if it is possible to use it as a diagnose on subclinical mastitis, and help to improve Canarian economy and livestock sector, preventing the EU to apply somatic cell count as a value of quality on goat milk. In total, between March 2021 and November 2021 were milked 44 dairy goats belonging to the different local breeds: Majorera (n=10), Tinerfeña (n=16) and Palmera (n=18).). Kinetic samples were taken with Lactocorder®. For each sample was measured: total milk yield (MGG), duration of total milking (tMGG), maximal milk flow rate (HMG), amount of milk within the first minute (1MG), strip yield (kg), time to reach 250 g at the beginning (tS500), average milk flow (AvMF), bimodality (bmod). It was given a milk flow emission curve by the following parameters: Time ascending (tAN), plateau and decreasing (tPL), and phases (tAB). Also, quality parameters were measured like milk yield (MY), fat (F), protein (P), lactose (L), total solids (TS), (Milkoscan™ Mars) somatic cell count (SCC) (Delaval Cell Counter®), and bacteriology (BC)(Bactostan™). There are correlations with significance(p<0.05), but Rho values between SCC and the other variables are very low. In conclusion, SCC does not seem to be a key indicator for udder health, as least, in Canarian goats because there was no significant correlation with BC. Therefore, future studies are essential to know how other parameters, like udder morphology, can affect the SCC and BC.