Coagulation Properties of Abnormal and Normal Milk from Individual Cow Quarters

Individual quarter milk samples from two Jersey and two Holstein herds were tested for chymosin coagulation time and curd firmness in the Formagraph instrument.Normal and abnormal milk samples were identified from somatic cell counts.Conductivity measurements and pH were determined.Coagulation properties of normal and abnormal milk drawn from individual quarters were significantly different.Abnormal milk had longer coagulation times and formed weaker curd than normal milk.Both normal and abnormal Jersey milk had shorter coagulation times and formed firmer curd than normal and abnormal Holstein milk.Coagulation properties of milk samples containing primary or secondary pathogens were not significantly different from each other but were inferior to samples that contained no pathogens.