Study of mastitis in Slovak dairy sheep

Abstract

A trial was conducted on lambing ewes of Tsigai and Improved Valachian breeds in the 1st to the 3rd lactation in 2017 and in the 1st to 4th lactation in 2018. The lambing ewes were housed and managed under the same conditions over the experimental period. Milk samples for determination of SCC (Fossomatic 90, Foss Electric Co., Denmark) and contents of solids (% S), proteins (% P), fat (% F) and lactose (% L) (Multispec infrared analyzer) were taken by ewe milking in S period after intravenous application of oxytocin (5 i.u./ewe) and as part of milk recording at morning hand milking in M period. Milk samples were taken in such a way to be representative ones of the ewe’s whole milk yield. Daily milk production (MP) was also recorded in individual ewes on the day of milk sampling; in S period, it was calculated from a milk quantity produced within a 4 h interval and milked after

Keywords

• Lactation, Mastitis, Milk, Somatic cell count