Relations between on-line electrical conductivity and daily milk production on a low somatic cell count farm.
To study the relation between on-line electrical conductivity and daily milk production, data of 1389 cow days were analyzed. After correction for cow effects and DIM, a rise of 1 mS of the mean electrical conductivity caused a decline of .88 kg/d in milk production. A rise of 1 ln(SCC) unit was associated with an additional decline of .54 kg/d in milk production. In cows without clinical mastitis during the test period, the losses associated with mean electrical conductivity and ln(SCC) were 1.06 and .45 kg/d of milk production, respectively. Electrical conductivity and SCC were associated with daily production loss; the effects were additive. Therefore, electrical conductivity and SCC can be utilized as indirect tests of subclinical mastitis.
Nielen
M
M
Department of Herd Health and Reproduction, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
Schukken
Y H
YH
Van de Broek
J
J
Brand
A
A
Deluyker
H A
HA
Maatje
K
K
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D008414:Mastitis, Bovine / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008892:Milk / Q000166:cytology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000502:physiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification