Association Between Somatic Cell Count of Milk and Cheese-Yielding Capacity

Abstract

During 1 yr, 42 Holstein cows were selected to provide monthly individual milk samples with SCC, which ranged from less than 100,000 to more than 1,000,000/ml of milk. Milk was analyzed for fat, protein, lactose, casein, and SCC and was used for laboratory-scale cheese making. Data obtained from the milk input and the cheese output were used to determine actual, moisture-adjusted, Van Slyke's theoretical yields, and efficiency of yield. Least squares analyses of data which adjusted for the effect of milk composition indicated that SCC in milk were inversely related to moisture-adjusted yield and efficiency of yield. An increase of SCC from 100,000 to 500,000/ml was associated with a decrease of approximately 5.0 and 11.0% in adjusted yield and efficiency of yield, respectively. A further increase of SCC to 1,000,000/ml resulted in an overall decrease of 8.7 and 13% in adjusted yield and efficiency of yield, respectively.