SOMATIC-CELL TYPES IN GOATS MILK IN RELATION TO TOTAL CELL COUNT, STAGE AND NUMBER OF LACTATION

Change in cell concentration and types of cells through lactation was studied in milk of 100 goats of the Verata breed (25 each in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th lactations), with machine milking. The degree of particip ation of each cell type was analysed: (a) during 210 days of lactation ; (b) as a function of number of lactations (1st to 4th); and (c) in r elation to total cell count. Average percentages of the various cell t ypes in milk of all animals were: 63.0% for polymorphonucleates, 16.2% macrophages, 7.2% lymphocytes, 13.0% remainder. Through the lactation the polymorphonucleates increased from 45.8% to 70.3%, while the rest of the cell types decreased. Polymorphonucleates increased from 51.5% (in the 1st lactation) to 69.3% (in the 4th lactation), and macrophag es decreased (20.0% to 14.4%), as did lymphocytes (12.5% to 4.7%) and degenerated cells (16.3% to 13.0%). Correlation coefficients reached s tatistical significance in all cases.