The Relationships Between Milk Constituents and Various Milk Properties in Anatolian Buffaloes

The objectives of this study were to investigate the relationships among milk composition, renneting time, urea concentration, acidity, density and pH of Anatolian Buffaloes’ milk. As a total of 115 individual milk samples from 53 Anatolian buffalo cows that calved in 2004 and 2005 on days of their lactations 30 ± 15, 60 ± 15, 90 ± 15, 120 ± 15, 150 ± 15, 180 ± 15, 210 ± 15, 240 ± 15 and 270 ± 15 in 8 units of Ilikpinar village were collected in morning milkings in June, September, December and March. Samples were analysed for total dry matter (TDM), fat, protein, ash, density, pH, acidity, renneting time and urea content. Data were classified according to the following environmental factors: lactation stages: 1 (30 ± 15, 60 ± 15, 90 ± 15 days): 2 (120 ± 15, 150 ± 15, 180 ± 15 days): 3 (210 ± 15, 240 ± 15, 270 ± 15 days); calving year: 1 (2004), 2 (2005); calving season: 1 (January-May), 2 (September and October); month of samples collection: 1 (June), 2 (September), 3 (December), 4 (March); lactation order: 1 and 2:1, 3 and 4:2, 5 and 6:3. Means and correlation coefficients for the characteristics investigated were calculated. There were negative significant correlations between daily milk yield with TDM, fat and protein percentages, and between pH and all of the milk constituents. Density reduces as TDM, fat and protein contents increase. Relationships between density and coagulation time with milk yield and pH were not significant. Relationships between milk urea concentration with none of milk constituents, milk yield, density, pH and titratable acidity were not significant statistically. It was concluded that genetic selection has to be directed towards increasing fat, protein and total not fat dry matter yields. Under selection programs in which milk yield is taken into consideration, fat and protein yields also increase, but fat and protein concentrations decrease.