Changes in the somatic cells counts and total bacterial counts in raw goat milk during lactation and their relationships to selected milk traits

Figures & data

Table 1. Mean values of SCC and TBC during lactation.

Trait	Mean day of lactation						Range of individual samples	Overall mean	Significance	SE
	54	89	124	159	194	229
SCC	400 × 10^3	807 × 10^3	746 × 10^3	528 × 10^3	649 × 10^3	683 × 10^3	92 × 10^3 to 3336 × 10^3	636 × 10^3	n.s.	129.17
Log SCC	5.60	5.91	5.87	5.72	5.81	5.83	4.96–6.52	5.79	n.s.	0.04
TBC, cfu/mL	1.7 × 10^3	3.8 × 10^3	1.1 × 10^3	7.1 × 10^2	1.5 × 10^3	1.1 × 10^3	0.5 × 10^1 to 3.8 × 10^4	1.7 × 10^3	n.s.	520.79
Log TBC	3.23	3.58	3.03	2.85	3.17	3.05	0.70–4.58	3.15	n.s.	0.08

n.s.p > .05.

n.s.: not significant; Log: logarithm; SCC: somatic cell count; SE: standard error; TBC: total bacterial count.

Table 2. Correlation coefficients of Log SCC and Log TBC with all other monitored traits.

	Log TBC	Fat, %	Total protein, %	Lactose, %	pH	Titratable acidity, ^oSH	California mastitis test	Daily milk yield, L
Log SCC	0.16	−0.08	0.22	−0.03	0.03	0.07	0.60**	0.10
Log TBC		−0.02	−0.18	0.21	0.05	−0.13	0.05	0.18

**p ≤ .05.

SCC: somatic cell count; TBC: total bacterial count.

California mastitis test score was recorded as 1, 2, 3 and 4 (1: negative reaction, 2: traces, 3: weak positive reaction and 4: strong positive reaction).

Table 3. Mean values of DMY, basic milk components, acidity and CMT during lactation.

Trait	Mean day of lactation						Range of individual samples	Overall mean	Significance	SE
	54	89	124	159	194	229
Daily milk yield, L	2.65^ABC	3.28^ADEFG	2.84^DHI	2.28^EJ	2.02^BFHK	1.35^CGIJK	0.60–4.80	2.40	**	0.11
Fat, %	3.43^A	3.19^bC	2.78^AbdEF	3.04^dG	3.35^EH	4.00^CFGH	2.06–5.23	3.30	**	0.08
Total protein, %	2.60^AB	2.71^CD	2.68^EF	2.70^GH	3.05^ACEGI	3.37^BDFHI	2.18–4.03	2.85	**	0.04
Lactose, %	4.69	4.60	4.54	4.40	4.64	4.60	4.00–5.22	4.58	n.s.	0.03
pH	6.68^A	6.68^B	6.77^ABCDE	6.68^C	6.68^D	6.65^E	6.52–6.98	6.69	*	0.01
Titratable acidity, ^oSH	5.41^ABC	5.67^dEF	5.95^GH	6.34^AdIJ	7.06^BEGI	7.54^CFHJ	4.37–9.42	6.33	**	0.12
California mastitis test	1.77	2.31	1.92	2.15	2.08	2.46	1–3	2.12	n.s.	0.07

n.s.p > .05; *p < .05; **p < .01. The effect of stage of lactation on the monitored traits (tested by one-way ANOVA).

DMY: daily milk yield; CMT: California mastitis test; SE: standard error; L: litre; oSH: degree Soxhlet-Henkel.

^a–dThe same characters on one line indicate the statistically significant difference between individual samples (tested by paired Student’s t-test) p < .05; ^A–Kthe same characters on one line indicate the statistically significant difference between individual samples (tested by paired Student’s t-test) p < .01.

n.s.: not significant; SE: standard error.

California mastitis test score was recorded as 1, 2, 3 and 4 (1: negative reaction, 2: traces, 3: weak positive reaction and 4: strong positive reaction).