Vol. 7, Issue 7, Part A (2025)

The study was conducted with an aim to assess the milk somatic cell count (SCC) and milk composition during early and mid-lactation stages in Gir cattle from their native tract. The milk samples negative for California Mastitis Test were collected twice from each 232 Gir cows of up to 4^th lactation during the year 2023 and analyzed for different milk composition traits including somatic cell count (SCC). The first milk sample was collected during early stage of lactation (averaging 78.879±0.548 days in milk) and the second milk sample was collected during mid-stage of lactation (averaging 137.228±0.782 days in milk). The estimated SCC values averaged 140939.65±8746.16 and 112025.86±5934.92 cells/ml of milk during early and mid-lactation stages, respectively with no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) observed between these stages. The estimated means and standard errors for fat, solids not fat, protein, lactose and salt percentage of Gir cow milk in present study were 4.611±0.110, 8.629±0.056, 3.152±0.020, 4.764±0.030 and 0.702±0.005%, respectively during early lactation stage whereas, 5.142±0.138, 8.586±0.066, 3.131±0.024, 4.743±0.036 and 0.699±0.005%, respectively during mid-lactation stage. The overall fat percentage was significantly (p<0.01) higher in the mid-lactation stage as compared to early-lactation stage. The study generated the baseline somatic cell count data for Gir cattle’s milk that too in its native tract.