Original scientific paper
EFFECT OF SEASON ON VARIATION IN SOMATIC CELL COUNT IN MILK
Jasna Ribarić
; Ministarstvo poljoprivrede, Uprava veterinarstva, Zagreb, Hrvatska
D. Lončar
; Hrvatska poljoprivredna agencija, Križevci, Hrvatska
I. Balinović
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Maja Ferenčaković
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Krešimir Salajpal
; Agronomski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
The number of somatic cells in milk is an indicator of hygienic quality of milk and a general indicator of udder health. The increase in their number is a reliable sign of impaired health or cow health and sanitary conditions of production. In order to increase milk production and with regard to a number of factors that can affect the variation of somatic cells is very important to know their impact in terms of our production conditions. This paper presents the results of the analysis of somatic cell count of 395,299 milk samples in the period from 2000 – 2008. It was tested the effect of season on the number of somatic cells in milk. The study results show a significant variation of somatic cells during period 2000th-2008th year. With the exception of the year 2003 and 2004 the trend can be seen a gradual reduction in the number of somatic cells, which is probably the result of the adoption of legislation governing this area (Ordinance on the quality of fresh raw milk and the Regulation on the target price of the fresh raw milk) and the impact of somatic cells in the formation of the price of milk. Furthermore, it was found that the season has a significant effect on the variation of the number of somatic cells in milk. In our climatic conditions, increased number of somatic cells was observed in the summer and autumn and lower in the spring and winter, it is most likely a result of high temperatures and humidity in those periods of the year.
Keywords
somatic cells; milk; variation; season
Hrčak ID:
89978
URI
Publication date:
25.8.2012.
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