EFFECT OF ESTRUS ON SOMATIC CELL COUNT, PROTEIN AND FAT CONTENTS IN MILK OF NILI-RAVI BUFFALOES

摘要

The present study was conducted with the objective to study the effect of oestrus on somatic cells count, fat and protein contents in milk of Nili-Ravi buffaloes. The research was carried out on twenty lactating Nili-Ravi buffaloes during October to November 2007 at Buffalo Research Institute, Pattoki, District Kasur. All buffaloes were in their second lactation and were above sixty days postpartum. Estrus was recorded daily for 8 week in experimental buffaloes. Once weekly, during the morning milking, 100 ml of milk was sampled from all animals for the determination of somatic cell count, protein and fat. There was significant difference (P<0.01) in the somatic cell count during proestrus/ estrus (383 +- 39 X 10~3 cells/ml) as compared to metestrus(241 +- 65 X 10~3) and diestrus (236 +- 44 X 10~3 cells/ml) stages while a non-significant difference was observed between somatic cell count during metestrus and diestrus stage of estrus cycle. Protein contents were significantly higher (P<0.01) duringproestrus/ estrus (3.7 +- 0.10%) compared with metestrus (3.4 +- 0.16%) and diestrus (3.4 +- 0.12%) while non-significantly differ between metestrus and diestrus stages of estrus cycle. There was non-significant difference (P>0.01) in fat contents during proestrus/ estrus (4.8 +- 0.16%), metestrus (4.7 +- 0.13%) and diestrus (4.8 +- 0.18%) stages of estrus cycle. It was concluded that somatic cell count and protein percentage in milk of Nili-Ravi buffalo were affected by stage of estrus cycle. The somatic cell count in milk could be used to identify the animals in estrus.