The relationships between udder-quarter somatic-cell counts and milk and milking parameters in cows managed with an automatic milking system

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (15) ◽  
pp. 1830
Author(s):  
Beata Sitkowska ◽  
Dariusz Piwczyński ◽  
Magdalena Kolenda
Keyword(s):  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Natural Logarithm ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Milk Flow ◽  
Lactation Stage ◽  
Milk Performance

Context Some milking parameters such as milk yield, milk flow, milking duration, milk conductivity and somatic-cell count can all be listed as economically important traits in dairy practice. Aims The aim of the study was to investigate the relationships among lactation stage, lactation number, milking season and milk-performance traits at an udder-quarter level, including somatic-cell count (SCC), milk yield (MY), milking duration (MD), time in box (TB), milk flow (MF) and milk conductivity (MC). An additional aim was to analyse milking-parameter levels in milkings with a SCC lower and higher than 400000 cells/mL. Methods The study included an analysis of 1621582 successful milkings obtained from six herds of dairy cattle equipped with milking robots (AMS). Key results The study confirmed that MD and MY differed greatly between front and rear quarters. Rear quarters took longer to be milked but produced more milk. During the first 100 days of lactation, the primiparous cows spent more time in the robot than did multiparous cows; however, in the second and third lactations, older cows were spending more time in the AMS. For primiparous cows, MF increased with time, being the highest at the end of lactation (>200 days in milk). A different trend has been found in the group of multiparous cows, where a steady decrease in MF was observed with subsequent lactation stages. A lower MC was recorded for cows in their first lactation than for multiparous cows. Data obtained from primiparous cows showed the highest MC to occur between 100 and 200 days of lactation. In the group of multiparous cows, MC increased with the lactation stage. It was also shown that the mean values obtained for MY, MD and TB were higher for cows with a lower SCC (<400000). Correlations between lnSCC (the natural logarithm of SCC) and MY and between lnSCC and MD were negative and low, while those between lnSCC and MC and lnSCC and MF were positive. Moderate correlations were found between lnSCC and total MC. Conclusions The study confirmed the differences in the performance of different udder quarters in relation to MY, MD, TB, MF, MS and SCC. Implications AMS provides farmers with vast data on milk and milking parameters. By monitoring changes in these parameters, farmer may be able to predict the level of production of their herd and the health of cows.

Locus BoLA-DRB3 is just an ordinary site of the polygene when explaining genetic variance of somatic cell count and milk yield

2015 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 449-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolanta Oprzadek ◽  
Grazyna Sender ◽  
Adrianna Pawlik ◽  
Marek Lukaszewicz
Keyword(s):  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Natural Logarithm ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Additive Component ◽  
Restriction Sites ◽  
A Site

The study aimed at clarifying the problem of the hitherto contradictory results regarding usefulness of BoLA-DRB3 locus as a marker in selection against mastitis and for milk yield. Treating the BoLA-DRB3 locus effect as random was proposed in place of considering it fixed. Somatic cell counts and milk yields recorded monthly on a test day (22 424) of 619 Polish Holstein cows genotyped for BoLA-DRB3 were analysed with an animal model including a random effect for genotype at this locus. The BoLA-DRB3 alleles were defined as restriction patterns obtained with three endonucleases. Two alternative BoLA-DRB3 additive genotype (co)variance structures were constructed for 161 genotypes recorded. One was based on the allelic similarity of the genotypes resulting in element values of 0 (no common allele), 0·5 (one allele in common), and 1 (diagonal). The other considered restriction site similarity (up to 3 in 1 allele) giving element values of 0 (no common restriction sites) and then increasingly in steps of 1/6 up to 6/6 (diagonal), where the numerator represents the number of common sites between genotypes. The DRB3 variance component for the natural logarithm of somatic cell count did not exceed 0·006 of the polygenic additive component or 0·003 for milk yield. Hence, unless we fail to detect the causative site or to properly define traits being the projection of a site, the effect of the genotype at the BoLA-DRB3 locus does not explain variation in somatic cell count and milk yield at a degree expected of a genetic marker.

An attempt to develop a method for determining the typical chemical composition of the milk of Polish Holstein-Friesian cows – a proposal

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 9-21
Author(s):  
Piotr Guliński ◽  
Anna Kłopotowska
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Lactation Stage ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Calving Season ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this paper is to develop a method for determining the typical chemical composition of the milk of Polish Holstein-Friesian (PHF) cows. The paper uses data collected from 1329 test-day milking records from 20 herds of PHF dairy cattle in Sokołów County, from 2009 to 2015. The effect of the following factors on the chemical composition of milk was determined: lactation stage (15 one-month stages); age of cows (lactations 1, 2, 3–4, and 5–7); genotype (share of PHF breed: less than 50%, 50–75%, 75–82.5% and more than 82.5%); somatic cell count (SCC) in 1 ml of milk (in thousands: 0–200, 200–400, 400–1000 and more than 1000); feeding level (fat to protein (F/P) ratio): ≤1.0, 1.0–1.4, 1.4–1.7 and >1.7); calving season (autumn/winter, spring/summer) and daily milk yield (milk yield in kg: ≤15, 15–25, 25–35 and >35). Nutrition and udder health status were found to be the main factors influencing the chemical composition of milk. For selected cows with optimally balanced feed rations (F/P ratio in milk from 1.1 to 1.4) and a low somatic cell count (SCC ≤200,000/ml), daily yield was the main factor affecting the chemical composition of the milk. It was also concluded that government and scientific publications on the PHF breed should take into account the impact of the F/P ratio, SCC and yield of milk on its composition.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SPEED OF MILKING AND SOMATIC CELL COUNT AND PRODUCTION IN HOLSTEINS

1983 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 781-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. MOORE ◽  
J. E. MOXLEY ◽  
B. W. KENNEDY ◽  
E. B. BURNSIDE
Keyword(s):  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Heritability Estimate ◽  
Phenotypic Correlations ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
The Relationship

Milking speed data were obtained for 2604 Holstein-Friesian cows, identified by sire, in test herds located in Quebec and Ontario. Milk samples were collected from each cow and analyzed for somatic cell count. Completed or projected lactation production records were available for this sample of cows. Two-minute yield and total milking time were adjusted for the effect of milk yield at sampling and the raw cell counts were transformed to the natural log scale. Sire and error variances were obtained by maximum likelihood (ML) methods and used to estimate heritabilities of and correlations between traits. The heritability estimate for the adjusted 2-min. yield, 0.23, was higher than that for the adjusted total milking time (0.13), with the estimates for the two unadjusted measures being intermediate (0.18). The phenotypic correlations between milking speed and somatic cell count were small. However, there were two distinct linear phases to the relationship between the adjusted 2-min yield and cell count. Small but significant phenotypic correlations were observed between unadjusted measures of milking speed and lactation production (0.11–0.22); however, correlations were not significant when adjustments were made for the milk yield at sampling. Genetic correlations between milking speed and somatic cell count were moderate to large and indicated an antagonistic relationship between faster milking speed and cell count. Also, the genetic correlations suggested some antagonism between increasing 2-min yield and lactation production, while the relationship between lactation traits and milking time was small. Key words: Milking speed, somatic cell count, correlations, heritabilities, Holsteins

scholarly journals Connection of somatic cell count and milk yield as well as composition in dairy ewes

2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-100
Author(s):  
J. Olechnowicz ◽  
Z. Sobek ◽  
J. M. Jaśkowski ◽  
P. Antosik ◽  
D. Bukowska
Keyword(s):  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Milk Samples ◽  
Dairy Ewes ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Daily Milk

Abstract. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of somatic cell count (SCC) on milk yield and composition using a threshold value of 250 ∙103 cells/ml in dairy ewes of line 05. A total of 1 512 milk samples from udder halves were collected throughout milking periods at monthly intervals. In the present study milk composition (from halves of the udder) and daily milk yield (from udders) was examined in terms of SCC in ewe milk in three groups: from both halves of the udder below 250 ∙103 cells/ml, from one halves of the udder below 250 ∙103 cells/ml and from second half udder above 250 ∙103 cells/ml and from both halves of the udder above 250 ∙103 cells/ml. Milk yield from udders, somatic cell count in milk samples from udder halves and milk composition depended on the level of SCC recorded for halves of the udder. Somatic cell counts in milk from one or both halves of udders exceeding 250 ∙103 cells/ ml resulted in a statistically significant (P<0.01) decrease in daily milk production of ewes, by approx. 15.89 and 30.22 %, respectively. The analysis of variance showed also a significant effect of parity and stage of lactation of ewes on somatic cell count (log SCC) and milk composition from udder halves below 250 ∙103 cells/ml.

scholarly journals The relationships between the somatic cell counts in the milk and the fertility of Polish Holstein-Friesian cows

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (No. 10) ◽  
pp. 433-439
Author(s):  
K Siatka ◽  
A Sawa ◽  
M Bogucki ◽  
D Piwczynski ◽  
S Krezel-Czopek
Keyword(s):  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Production Level ◽  
Udder Health ◽  
Natural Logarithm ◽  
Cell Counts ◽  
Service Period ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Friesian Cows

The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between the somatic cell counts in the milk (the udder health status indicator) and the cow’s fertility, taking the influence of the selected factors into account. The udder health status was determined based on the somatic cell count of the milk from 88 745 test-day records from 55 685 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows. The test-day measurements were made up to 30 days before the first insemination, during the period up to 180 days of the first and second lactation. Because the somatic cell count showed high variation and is not normally distributed, the data were transformed to the natural logarithm scale. Based on the results of the statistical analysis, it was shown that with the increase in the number of somatic cells in the milk, the calving intervals were extended by 11 days (P ≤ 0.01), the service period by around 4 days (P ≤ 0.05), the increase in the services per conception by 0.11 (P ≤ 0.01). There was a statistically significant correlation, weak on the Guilford scale, between the natural logarithm of the somatic cell count and the fertility of the cows: the calving interval – CI (r = 0.050**, P ≤ 0.01), service period – SP (r = 0.016**) end services per conception – SPC (r = 0.019**). Monitoring the number of somatic cells in the milk could contribute to improving the fertility of the cows in particular: in the second lactation in the double lactation (for the CI (r = 0.059**)); in herds with a production level of 7000–9000 kg of milk (for the CI (r = 0.055**), the SP (r = 0.022**) and the SPC (r = 0.024**)); the daily productivity of &gt; 40 kg (for the CI (r = 0.052**), the SP (r = 0.033**) and the SPC (r = 0.029**)), the number of cows in the herd of &gt; 200 (for the CI (r = 0.061**), the SP (r = 0.034**) and the SPC (r = 0.033**)), in the autumn season of the first insemination (for the CI (r = 0.072**), the SP (r = 0.027**) and the SPC (r = 0.031**)). The magnitude of these correlations varied within the classes of the factors such as the daily production level, the age of cows´ lactation number, the season of the first insemination, the herd production level, and the herd size. It appears that the somatic cell count results obtained from the periodic milk recording, considered as an indirect measure of the udder health and used when deciding on the mastitis treatment, could be a useful tool for controlling the fertility in the cows.

Mastitis vaccination using a commercial polyvalent vaccine or a herd-specific Staphylococcus aureus vaccine

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (04) ◽  
pp. 219-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Hamedy ◽  
Oliver Passarge ◽  
Axel Sobiraj ◽  
Markus Freick ◽  
Yvonne Frank ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Dairy Herd ◽  
Clinical Mastitis ◽  
Health State ◽  
Udder Health ◽  
Milk Samples ◽  
Cell Counts

Summary Objective of this study was the improvement of selected parameters of udder health by mastitis vaccination in a dairy herd with elevated bulk milk somatic cell counts and Staphylococcus (S.) aureus as predominant mastitis causing pathogen. Material and methods: On a dairy farm, pregnant heifers (status group [SG] 1; n = 181) as well as cows stratified for their udder health state (classification based on results of cytobacteriological investigations of quarter milk samples obtained before dry cow therapy [MS0]) (SG 2–4; n = 416) were randomly assigned to one of the following vaccination groups (VG): Startvac® (VG SV), Bestvac® Rind Mastitis (containing herd-specific S. aureus-strains; VG BV) and the unvaccinated control (VG Co, placebo), respectively. The collected data (5 [MS5] and 52 [MS52] days in milk [DIM]: quarter milk somatic cell count [QSCC] and bacteriological investigation of quarter milk samples; dairy herd improvement test [DHIT] days 1–10: milk yield and individual cow somatic cell count; until 305 DIM: clinical mastitis cases) were compared between the VG within their SG. Results: S. aureus prevalences were significantly lower in VG SV (p < 0.001) and VG BV (p = 0.006) within SG 3 and in VG SV (p = 0.008) within SG 4, respectively, in comparison to VG Co. Milk yields (DHIT days [p = 0.042] and 305-day milk yield [p = 0.040]) were significantly less in VG SV within SG 4 compared to VG Co. Significant different changes over time in comparison to VG Co indicating a vaccine effect during lactation were only observed for QSCC within SG 4 for VG BV (p = 0.017; increase towards MS52) and for S. aureus prevalence within SG 3 for VG BV (p < 0.001; opposing trends from MS0 towards MS52). All other interactions of time and VG under investigation were not significant in any of the SG. Furthermore, there were no descriptive differences in the incidence of clinical mastitis and duration of a necessary mastitis therapy, respectively, between the VG within their SG. Conclusion: In this field study, the application of two different mastitis vaccines was not an appropriate tool to improve the considered parameters of udder health sustainably.

scholarly journals Association between Udder and Quarter Level Indicators and Milk Somatic Cell Count in Automatic Milking Systems

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3485
Author(s):  
Maddalena Zucali ◽  
Luciana Bava ◽  
Alberto Tamburini ◽  
Giulia Gislon ◽  
Anna Sandrucci
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Udder Health ◽  
Milk Flow ◽  
Automatic Milking ◽  
Automatic Milking Systems ◽  
Over Time

Automatic Milking Systems (AMS) record a lot of information, at udder and quarter level, which can be useful for improving the early detection of altered udder health conditions. A total of 752,000 records from 1003 lactating cows milked with two types of AMS in four farms were processed with the aim of identifying new indicators, starting from the variables provided by the AMS, useful to predict the risk of high milk somatic cell count (SCC). Considering the temporal pattern, the quarter vs. udder percentage difference in milk electrical conductivity showed an increase in the fourteen days preceding an official milk control higher than 300,000 SCC/mL. Similarly, deviations over time in quarter vs. udder milk yield, average milk flow, and milking time emerged as potential indicators for high SCC. The Logistic Analysis showed that Milk Production Rate (kg/h) and the within-cow within-milking percentage variations of single quarter vs. udder milk electrical conductivity, milk yield, and average milk flow are all risk factors for high milk SCC. The result suggests that these variables, alone or in combination, and their progression over time could be used to improve the early prediction of risk situations for udder health in AMS milked herds.

scholarly journals Relationship of milking traits and somatic cell count with electrical conductivity of goat milk during different milking phases

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-299
Author(s):  
Birutė Šlyžienė ◽  
Lina Anskienė ◽  
Evaldas Šlyžius ◽  
Vida Juozaitienė
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Goat Milk ◽  
Initial Time ◽  
Good Tool ◽  
Saanen Goat ◽  
Milk Flow

The aim of this study was to estimate the relation between milking traits and somatic cell count with electrical conductivity of goat milk during different milking phases. The research was carried out in the herd of Czech White Shorthaired and Saanen goat breeds (n=323) with the help of the electronic milk flow meter LactoCorder®. The milk yield, milking duration, milking flow rate and electrical conductivity of milk in the different phases of milking showed the significant mean differences between the breeds. Almost all (except electrical conductivity during the initial time) investigated indicators of electrical conductivity had a significant positive correlation with SCC. The bimodality of milk flow was determined in 9.69 % of goats and associated with milk yield decrease and SCC increase (P&lt;0.05). The results confirm that the milk flow curve data is a good tool to control milking traits of goats, to predict the prevalence of mastitis and, thus, to improve the health of the udder of goats.

Relationship between somatic cell count and milk performance of Polish Holstein-Friesian cows

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23
Author(s):  
Piotr Guliński ◽  
Krzysztof Wyszomierski ◽  
Ewa Salamończyk
Keyword(s):  
Somatic Cell ◽  
Cell Count ◽  
Milk Yield ◽  
Somatic Cell Count ◽  
Holstein Friesian ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Milk Performance ◽  
Daily Milk Yield ◽  
Daily Milk ◽  
Friesian Cows

The average somatic cell count in the milk analysed was 326,000 cells/ml. For the 4 groups of cows distinguished in the study, with daily milk yield of ≤15 kg, 15-25 kg, 25-35 kg and >35 kg, the somatic cell count was 771,000, 393,000, 240,000 and 180,000 cells/ml, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in the somatic cell count in milk from cows with different productivity. A highly significant correlation coefficient was obtained for the daily milk yield of the cows and the somatic cell count in the milk (r=−0.81). The negative coefficient indicates that an increase in the quantity of milk was accompanied by a decrease in the somatic cell count in the milk. The regression equation obtained suggests that in the study population a decline in somatic cell count of 100,000 cells/ml was accompanied by an increase in daily milk yield of 3.8 kg. The analysis showed that there is a negative correlation between SCC and milk yield of cows. An increase in milk yield was found to be accompanied by a decrease in the number of somatic cells in 1 ml of milk, which indicates an improvement in its quality.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document