The variation in the cell count of cow's milk throughout lactation and from one lactation to the next

Abstract

SummaryTotal and differential cell counts were obtained for approximately 38000 fore-milk samples taken from cows of the Institute herd during a period of 12 years.For most of the period of the experiment the incidence of subclinical mastitis associated with coagulase-positive staphylococci was about 5% of all the quarters in milk, but for a period of about 12 months in the 7th and 8th year of the experiment the herd was free from infection with coagulase-positive staphylococci.The average cell count for cows in each lactation up to the 7th was calculated, and in addition each lactation was divided into 4 equal periods, and the average cell count for each period determined.It was found that the average total cell count increased from one lactation to the next, and that this rise was due mainly to an increase in the number of polymorphs in the samples, the counts of cells other than polymorphs remaining relatively constant.It was also found that the average total cell count rose during the course of any one lactation; but this was due to an increase in both the number of polymorphs and the number of cells other than polymorphs.During the period when the herd was free from infection with coagulase-positive staphylococci the average lactation age of the cows was 4·3 lactations, and the average total cell count was 0·30 million cells/ml, a figure which was the same as that obtained throughout the experiment for animals in their 1st lactation.Possible relationships between the rise in cell counts and the pathology of mastitis are discussed.