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An investigation into the relationship between milk progesterone concentrations in fore-milk and composite milk samples

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

M.A. McCoy ,
S.D. Lennox ,
C.S. Mayne ,
W.J. McCaughey ,
M. Verner ,
D.C. Catney ,
A.R.G. Wylie ,
B. Kennedy  and
F.J. Gordon
M.A. McCoy
Affiliation:
Veterinary Sciences Division, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Stoney Road, Belfast, BT4 3SD
S.D. Lennox
Affiliation:
Biometrics Division, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX
C.S. Mayne
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR
W.J. McCaughey
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR
M. Verner
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR
D.C. Catney
Affiliation:
Biometrics Division, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX
A.R.G. Wylie
Affiliation:
Agricultural & Environmental Science Division, Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX
B. Kennedy
Affiliation:
A.I. Service (NI) Ltd., Ballycraigy, 671 Antrim Road, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim, BT36 8RL
F.J. Gordon
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR
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Abstract

Milk progesterone concentrations are generally estimated on a composite, “jar”, sample from the bulk milk collecting jar, with concentrations >3 ng/ml considered as indicative of the presence of luteal tissue. However, on a number of dairy farms composite sampling is not possible as they operate a direct pipeline milking system, without milk meters, and the only practical means of obtaining a milk sample is via fore-milk sampling. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between progesterone concentrations, as estimated by an ELISA procedure, in fore-milk strippings and composite milk samples. A significant relationship (r2 = 0.83) was obtained between the progesterone concentration in composite milk and fore-milk samples; y = 1.52 - 1.41(0.163)x, where y = log10(composite progesterone) and x = log10(fore-milk progesterone). A milk progesterone concentration of 3 ng/ml in composite milk corresponded to a milk progesterone concentration of 1.47 ng/ml in fore-milk. Using this relationship progesterone profiles may be compared between herds where milk samples have been obtained by either composite milk or fore-milk sampling. In addition, composite milk samples only should be used with qualitative on-farm assays.

Type
Posters
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 26 , Issue 2: Fertility in the High-Producing Dairy Cow , September 2001 , pp. 471 - 473
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2001

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References

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