Factors effective at somatic cell count (SCC) in the milk of black and white cows kept in intensive dairy farms at Adana province and their relationships with mastitis

This study was conducted to determine the effects of herd, parity, quarter and some blood parameters on Somatic Cell Count (SCC) in Black and White cow milk at Adana province. For this purpose, three intensive dairy farms were selected considering herd size. Quarter milk samples and milk weights were collected at the evening milking, monthly from June 1996 through July 1997. Cows were separated into three groups according to the parity. First group was in first and second lactation, second group was in third and forth lactation and third one was in fifth or greater parity. Somatic Cell Counts were determined by Fossomatic 90 apparatus. The monthly SCC were transformed to log scale to minimise heterogeneity of variance of their independent random residual effects. The SCC and milk yield were analysed with repeated measure ANOVA procedure and transferrin genotypes were tested by Khi-square. No differences were found (PX).05) by quarter, but herd, parity, period and interaction effects were found statistically significant (P<0.01). Average SCC for all quarters was 1.287.680 ± 88.850 (36.820 - 10.479.890) SCC/ml. The SCC increased as the parity increased (P<0.01). Average SHS values for first and third parity group were 856.830±96.140 and 2.295. 150± 25.846 SCC/ml respectively. The differences between dairy units in SCC was statistically significant (P<0.01). Months of year affected the SCC (PO.01), and the highest SCC's were observed in Jury and October. There were no variation in the population in respect to haemoglobin genotypes. This may be attributed to monomorphism in Black and White Cattle in haemoglobin genotypes. Six different transferrin genotypes were determined in the population evaluated in this study and the effect of transferrin genotypes on SCC were statistically significant (P<0.01). Key Words: Somatic Cell Counts, Transferin, Polimorphism