The Visual Appearance and Somatic Cell Count of Mammary Secretions Collected from Primigravid Heifers During Gestation and Early Postpartum

• Published in: Journal of dairy science 1995-07, Vol.78 (7), p.1629-1636
• Main Authors: Hallberg, J.W., Dame, K.J., Chester, S.T., Miller, C.C., Fox, L.K., Pankey, J.W., Nickerson, S.C., Weaver, L.J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; CALIFORNIA; CALIFORNIE; CALOSTRO; Cattle - physiology; Cell Count; COLOSTRUM; Colostrum - chemistry; Colostrum - cytology; Colostrum - microbiology; CONTEO DE CELULAS SOMATICAS; ETIOLOGIA; ETIOLOGIE; Female; GENISSE; GESTACION; GESTATION; GLANDE MAMMAIRE; GLANDULAS MAMARIAS; heifer; LACTACION; LACTATION; LOUISIANE; LUISIANA; Mammary Glands, Animal - microbiology; Mammary Glands, Animal - secretion; MAMMITE BOVINE; mastitis; MASTITIS BOVINA; Milk - chemistry; Milk - cytology; Milk - microbiology; Models, Statistical; NOVILLA; NUMERATION CELLULAIRE SOMATIQUE; Parity; PARTO; PARTURITION; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Animal; Seasons; secretion; somatic cell count; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Streptococcus agalactiae - isolation & purification; VACAS LECHERAS; VACHE LAITIERE; VARIACION ESTACIONAL; VARIATION SAISONNIERE; VISCOSIDAD; VISCOSITE; Viscosity; WASHINGTON
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(95)76787-X

Mammary secretions, obtained before and after calving, were examined for visual appearance, SCC, and bacteriology as part of a larger study determining the prevalence of IMI in 1588 primigravid heifers. Appearance of secretions was categorized into five groups: thin and watery, honey-like, serumy, milky, or thickened colostrum. Precalving secretions were further characterized as low viscosity (thin and watery, serumy, or milky) or high viscosity (honey-like and thickened colostrum). Postcalving secretions were further characterized as normal (milky, thickened colostrum) or abnormal (thin and watery, serumy. or honey-like), Infected precalving quarters (81%) had low viscosity secretions. Quarters that were uninfected precalving (75%) had high viscosity secretions. Greater than 90% of all postcalving milk samples appeared to be normal, regardless of geographic location, season, or bacterial infection status. Only 77% of the samples from quarters infected with contagious and noncontagious mastitis pathogens had normal appearance. Precalving SCC from bacteriologically negative quarters were lower than SCC from infected quarters. Similarly, postcalving SCC were lower from the bacteriologically negative quarters than from the infected quarters. Infected quarters had higher mean SCC than the uninfected quarters during both pre- and postcalving periods.