Evaluation of the overall accuracy of the DeLaval cell counter for somatic cell counts in ovine milk.

The DeLaval cell counter (DCC) is a portable device designed for on-farm somatic cell count (SCC) analysis in bovine milk. This study evaluated the performance of the DCC when analyzing ovine milk. A total of 29 composite ovine milk samples, ranging between 20 x 10(3) and 2,200 x 10(3) cells/mL, were divided into 15 aliquots/milk sample corresponding to 5 SCC methods using 3 types of preservation (unpreserved, azidiol, and bronopol).

Accuracy of simplified sampling procedures for estimating milk composition in dairy ewes.

Simplified designs of milk-composition recording, based on information from a single monthly milking, adjusted or not for interval between milkings and for milk yield, were simulated and evaluated for 2553 ewe-test-day records belonging to 155 lactations of Churra dairy ewes. Accuracy of simplified methods was evaluated by comparing estimated trait values (fat, protein, casein and total solid yields) with those observed both in a reference plan, where the two daily milkings were recorded at weekly intervals (A1), and in the official A4 milk recording (monthly records of the two daily milkings). Trait yields per lactation were estimated and adjusted to the only milking period (days in milk 30-120).

Phenotypic study on total and partial lifetime traits for dairy ewes.

A data file on 36,396 lactations was used to determine the strength of the phenotypic relationship between productive, reproductive and lifespan traits for 7935 Spanish Churra ewes. These ewes first lambed between 1989 and 1997 and belonged to 23 flocks. The study took into account four lifespan traits (lifetime, productive life, useful life and lifetime score), three productive traits (total milk yield produced during lifetime, lambs weaned during ewe lifetime and total revenues from sold milk and weaned lambs during lifetime) and two reproductive traits (age at first lambing and mean interval between successive lambings).

Factors of variation influencing bulk tank somatic cell count in dairy sheep.

Between January and December 2002, a total of 21,685 records for bulk tank milk somatic cell count (BTSCC) were obtained from 309 dairy ewe herds belonging to the Sheep Improvement Consortium in Castilla-Leon, Spain. Based on the first statistical model, ANOVA detected significant effects of herd, breed, month within herd, dry therapy, type of milking, contagious agalactia, and installations within machine milking on logBTSCC. A second statistical model was used on herds with machine milking to study the effect of the vacuum level and pulsation rate on BTSCC.

Genetic variation at microsatellite loci in Spanish sheep.

Genetic variation at 18 microsatellite loci was analysed in six indigenous Spanish sheep: Churra; Latxa; Manchega; Rasa-Aragonesa; Castellana and Merino. Merinos had frequently the highest number of alleles per locus, whereas Latxas showed the lowest one at many loci. Markers ordered decreasingly according to the number of variants differentiated in the whole population were: MAF70; TGLA13; CSSM66; BM143, BM6444; MAF36; MAF64; CSSM6; TGLA53; OarFCB11; MAF33; BM4621; MAF48; MAF65; BM1258; ILSTS002; ADCYC and OarCP34.

Biochemical polymorphisms in Spanish Avileña-Negra Iberica cattle.

Thirteen biochemical blood polymorphisms were analysed in a population of 149 Spanish Avileña-Negra Ibérica cattle. The study revealed variation at the following nine loci: HBB, CA, NP, CP, AMY1, ALB, GC, TF and PTF2. The following systems were monomorphic: CAT, DIA1, MDH1 and ME1.

The distribution of potassium and sodium concentrations in the erythrocytes of some breeds of cattle.

The distribution of erythrocyte potassium and sodium concentrations was studied in Sayaguesa (n = 150), Brown Swiss (n = 163) and two populations of Avileña-Negra Ibérica cattle (n = 141 and 141 respectively). No polymorphism was detected for red-cell cation content in any of the breeds investigated. Mean values of potassium concentrations varied between 21.

Use of the Fossomatic method to determine somatic cell counts in sheep milk.

The Fossomatic method for SCC was compared with the direct microscopic method in 85 half-udder samples of sheep milk. The correlation coefficient was .986.