Estimation of Milk Yield Losses From Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Cows

Authors: CENGİZ YALÇIN, YAVUZ CEVGER, KENAN TÜRKYILMAZ, GÜL UYSAL

Abstract: Multiple regression analysis was utililised to estimate the relationship between somatic cell counts (SCC) and milk yield using the data of 1687 quarter milk samples collected weekly from 20 cows at the Dairy Unit of A.U. Veterinary Faculty's Research Farm between May and October 1998. The findings of this study supported the results of similar previous studies on that there is a negative relationship between SCC and milk yield, the relationship between milk yield and lnSCC (natural logarithmic form) is not linear. It was found that milk yield loss from SCC vary considerably according to the level of SCC. The milk yield losses were estimated to be 0.6 kg/day/cow (2.1%) where the SCC was 403,000 cells/ml, whereas these losses where the SCC were 1,097,000 and 1,900,000 cells/ml were estimated to be 3.8 kg/day/cow (14.1%) and 6.8 kg/day/cow (23.2%) respectively. The weighted average milk yield loss was estimated to be 1.53 kg/day/cow.

Keywords: Cow, subclinic mastitis, somatic cell counts, milk yield loss

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