Phenotypic Characterization of Milk Yield and Quality Traits in a Large Population of Water Buffaloes

Abstract

The buffalo milk industry has economic and social relevance in Italy, as linked to the manufacture of traditional dairy products. To provide an overview of the current status of buffaloes’ performances on a large scale, almost 1 million milk test-day records from 72,294 buffaloes were available to investigate milk yield, energy corrected milk, fat, protein, and lactose content, and somatic cell score (SCS). Phenotypic correlations between milk traits were calculated and analysis of variance was carried out through a mixed model approach including fixed effect of parity, stage of lactation, sampling time, month of calving, and all their interactions and random effects of buffalo, herd-test-date, and residual. Third-parity buffaloes were the most productive in terms of milk yield, while the lowest solid content was detected in sixth parity buffaloes. A considerable gap between primiparous and multiparous buffaloes was observed for milk yield, especially in early- and mid-lactation. Overall, SCS progressively increased with parity and showed a negative correlation with milk yield in both primiparous (−0.12) and multiparous (−0.14) buffaloes. Results suggested that, at the industrial level, milk of primiparous buffaloes may be preferred for transformation purposes, since it was characterized by greater solid content and lower SCS. Results of this study provide a picture of the Italian population of buffaloes under systematic performance records and might be beneficial to both dairy industry and breeding organizations.

On the Effect of the Temperature-Humidity Index on Buffalo Bulk Milk Composition and Coagulation Traits

“…However, a comprehensive comparison with the literature was not possible, TABLE 5 | Significance of linear (P L ) and quadratic (P Q ) regression coefficient of maximum temperature-humidity index (MTHI) and least squares means of bulk milk traits for the fixed effect of MTHI with significance (P) of the effect (three classes). Table 2) were overall in agreement with those reported in literature for Mediterranean water buffalo and based on individual milk samples (7,13). Moreover, some correlations, like those of THI with milk FC, PC, and LC, were in line with the trend observed for the LSM in the three classes of THI (Table 4).…”

“…Descriptive statistics observed in this study for FC, PC, LC, SCS, and coagulation traits mirrored those reported in studies based on bulk milk data collected on 36 Italian buffalo herds (11) and on 1,414,449 individual buffalo milk test-day records (7). As expected, the variability of the bulk milk traits was lower compared with individual samples (7).…”

“…Descriptive statistics observed in this study for FC, PC, LC, SCS, and coagulation traits mirrored those reported in studies based on bulk milk data collected on 36 Italian buffalo herds (11) and on 1,414,449 individual buffalo milk test-day records (7). As expected, the variability of the bulk milk traits was lower compared with individual samples (7). However, a comprehensive comparison with the literature was not possible, TABLE 5 | Significance of linear (P L ) and quadratic (P Q ) regression coefficient of maximum temperature-humidity index (MTHI) and least squares means of bulk milk traits for the fixed effect of MTHI with significance (P) of the effect (three classes).…”

“…Due to increased global temperatures, concerns regarding heat stress and thermoregulation in dairy animals, including buffaloes, has been extended to the northern hemisphere. Italy hosts the majority of European buffaloes (6); the water buffalo has been traditionally present and farmed in the southern regions of the country, particularly where Mozzarella di Bufala Campana cheese, which has been granted a "protected designation of origin" status, is manufactured (7).…”

Study of Milkability and Its Relation With Milk Yield and Somatic Cell in Mediterranean Italian Water Buffalo

“…In buffalo routine management, the set-up of milking devices is a critical point and the characteristics of milking vacuum and milking pulsations are strictly connected with milk flow observations ( 18 , 20 , 22 ). It is well-established that udder health influences milk composition and milk flow parameters in dairy species, including buffalo ( 23 , 24 ). In buffalo, as in other dairy species, the milk somatic cell count (SCC) is the most adopted indicator for udder health and mastitis ( 12 , 23 – 25 ).…”