Norway: Threshold value for cell number in goat's milk is difficult to determine

Posted: 03/11/2021 Save as favorite The cell count in goat's milk is on average around 443,000 cells per milliliter. Somatic cell count in dairy goats is influenced by a range of physiological factors. This makes it difficult to determine a threshold value that indicates the presence of an infection, a group of Norwegian researchers concludes. The somatic cell count in the milk increases as goats get older and the number of lambs increases. This is probably explained by the fact that older goats are exposed to pathogens for a longer period of their lives. The lactation stage also influences the level of the somatic cell count. For example, goats have a higher cell count at the end of lactation than shortly after lambing. More infections in the udder at the end of the lactation. After 300 days in lactation, the cell count decreases again. Heat also has an impact on the somatic cell count, the researchers found. The increase lasts from five days before conception to ten days after. ...