Composition of milk from Modicana and other breeds of dairy cattle in Sicily

This study was conducted in Sicily, and its main objective was to determine the effects of month of the year, and breed of cattle on milk composition and cheese yield. Seventy dairy herds (25 Holstein, 25 Brown Swiss, and 20 Modicana) were selected. The season of the year had an influence on the per centage of total solids, fat, total and true protein, urea, casein as a per centage of true protein, and the amount of milk produced per day for all 3 breeds. The highest production of milk and the highest concentration of mil k components were observed during the time of the year when the quantity an d quality of green forage from native pastures was high. The milk from the Modicana breed had the highest total solids, total protein, true protein, a nd NPN content, while its fat content was not different from the Holstein a nd Brown Swiss. There was a trend for higher casein as a percentage of true protein in the Modicana milk. Electrophoretic analysis of milk confirmed t hat the Modicana cows in Sicily were of the kappa-BB genotype, while the Ho lstein and Brown Swiss were kappa-AA or kappa-AB. Therefore the milk from t he Modicana breed showed a higher potential cheese yield.