ABSTRACT. Technical regulations that determine milk quality standards in Brazil establish the minimum criteria that the processing industry's raw material must present. These rules can challenge the logistics sector (transport) to maintain adequate milk conservation levels. We aimed to evaluate the influence of bulk transport and storage conditions on refrigerated raw milk quality. The experiment was carried out in a dairy industry in Santa Catarina State. Information and samples of refrigerated raw milk were collected from dairy farms, from isothermal compartments of milk trucks, and from the industry's storage silo. These samples were submitted to microbiological analysis, somatic cell count (SCC), and physicochemical analysis. The results were evaluated by ANOVA and multivariate analysis (factor analysis). The transport of raw milk in bulk and the transfer of raw material to the industrial silo worsened the milk's microbiological quality (p < 0.0001) for standard plate count (SPC) and psychrotrophic microorganism count (PMC), without affecting, the physicochemical characteristics of the milk (p > 0.05). Poor hygienic conditions in milk storage rooms, in the refrigeration bulk tanks of the dairy farms, and during the transport, as well as the transport on longer routes, were related to higher SPC and psychrotrophic count while receiving milk by the dairy industry with higher temperatures was only associated with higher SPC.

RESUMO Objetivou-se realizar o monitoramento por vaca em lactação referente a qualidade e composição do leite de duas propriedades rurais na mesorregião Noroeste Rio-grandense, localizadas nos municípios de Palmeira das Missões e Pinhal - RS. Ambos os rebanhos eram mistos, com animais da raça Holandês (70%) e Jersey (30%). Foram avaliados os parâmetros: escore de condição corporal (ECC), sujidade de úbere, ordem de parto e composição do leite: teores de extrato seco total (EST) e desengordurado (ESD), lactose, gordura, proteína, caseína, nitrogênio ureico do leite (NUL) e contagem de células somáticas (CCS). A análise estatística realizada foi análise fatorial e de agrupamento. O primeiro fator compreende a relação negativa da produção de leite com a raça, teor de gordura e proteína. O segundo fator compreende a relação positiva entre dias em lactação com escore de condição corporal e teor de proteína do leite. O terceiro fator é representado pela relação contrária do teor de lactose com escore de CCS, ordem de parto e ECC. No quarto fator observa-se a relação positiva entre ordem de parto e sujidade do úbere. Na análise de agrupamento foram formados três grupos que refletem as relações encontradas na análise fatorial. O monitoramento por vaca, considerando raça, ordem de parto, escore de condição corporal, dias em lactação, produção de leite, teores de gordura, proteína e lactose, escore de contagem de células somáticas e sujidade do úbere possibilitam maior controle do rebanho, facilitando corrigir possíveis deficiências pontuais de forma rápida e minimizando as perdas produtivas e econômicas.

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to monitor cow milk quality and composition in two farms in the Noroeste Rio-grandense mesoregion, located in the municipalities of Palmeira das Missões and Pinhal - RS. Both herds were mixed, with animals of the Holstein (70%) and Jersey (30%) breeds. The following overall parameters were evaluated: body condition score (BCS), udder dirtiness, and calving order, and the following milk composition factors were measured: total dry extract (TDE), defatted dry extract (DDE), milk lactose, fat, and protein contents, casein, milk urea nitrogen (MUN), and somatic cell count (SCC). Multivariate statistical analysis was performed, and four factors were identified representing combinations of the measured variables. The first factor comprised negative relationships between milk production and cow breed, milk fat content, and milk protein content. The second factor comprised the positive relationships between lactation days and body condition score and milk protein content. The third factor represented the negative relationships between milk lactose content and SCC score, calving order, and BCS. The fourth factor was composed of the positive relationship between delivery order and udder dirtiness. Cluster analysis revealed that individual cows could be categorized into three groups. Monitoring the breed, calving order, body condition score, lactation days, milk production, fat, protein, and lactose contents, somatic cell counts, and udder dirtiness in cows allows greater control of the herd, allowing potential shortcomings to be rectified quickly and economic losses to production to be minimized.

ABSTRACT We aimed to determine the relationship of milk yield, milk composition, and somatic cell score (SCS) with functional traits (lameness score, udder cleanliness score, udder depth, and teat end hyperkeratosis score) and physiological status (parity and days in milk (DIM) of cows housed in compost bedded pack barn system (CBP) using multivariate analysis. Data were collected in September and October of 2017 and evaluated using factor and cluster analysis. Four factors were formed, with the first factor showing the traits responsible for altering the lactose content in milk, the second factor comprising the effect of DIM, the third factor representing the teat end hyperkeratosis score, and the fourth factor demonstrating the udder cleanliness. The cluster analysis formed three clusters. Clusters 2 and 3 differed for protein and lactose content, SCS, parity, DIM, lameness score, and udder depth. Cluster 1 differed from the others, especially due to the high milk yield. Cow conformation traits and physiological status affected milk yield and composition in CBP. There is an association between udder depth, parity, and SCS with negative impact on lactose content. Parity is also associated with higher milk yield and teat end hyperkeratosis score. Cows with lower lameness score presented dirtier udders due to increased movements on the feed parlor and water troughs areas. Special attention to the improvement of the udder conformation traits, as well as management practices that reduce hyperkeratosis, are necessary to keep high yielding, healthy, and cows with higher longevity. The cleanliness in the feed parlor and water troughs area is very important to preserve milk quality and healthy cows.

ABSTRACT. This study was realized to evaluate the monthly production, composition and quality of milk (total and defatted dry extract, lactose, fat and protein) and their relation to somatic cell count (SCC) and total bacterial count (TBC) using multivariate statistical analyses. The data are from a dairy farm for the period of two years (from January 2015 to December 2016). The SCC and TBC variables were transformed to somatic cell score (SCS) and log10 (LogTBC). Factor analysis, discriminant analysis and cluster analysis were used. Through factor analysis, it was found two factors that together explained 69.5% of the total data variation. The first factor represented the inverse relationship between lactose versus fat and protein content, while the second factor represented the inverse relationship among monthly milk yield versus SCS and LogTBC. The discriminant analysis identified that lactose and protein contents and SCS were the variables that had the greatest participation in the separation of the groups formed by the cluster analysis. The groups differed mainly by the monthly production of milk, composition and SCS. Finally, there are important multivariate relations between the variables milk production, composition and quality.

ABSTRACT. This study analyzed the behavior of the annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) BRS Ponteio and dual-purpose wheat (Triticum aestivum) BRS Tarumã with different doses of ammonium sulfate as topdressing and evaluated the exponential growth model to explain the physiological development of both species. For each species, a completely randomized design was used with four replications per treatment with 9m2 area, in which the following treatments were distributed: 0, 150, 250, 350 and 450 kg nitrogen per hectare applied as ammonium sulfate. The cumulative and adjusted productions to the exponential growth model at the end of the cycle were, respectively: BRS Ponteio 150 = 5,620; 250 = 5,920; 350 = 7,585 and 450 = 8,491 and BRS Tarumã 150 = 3,922; 250 = 5,060; 350 = 7,024 and 450 = 7,491 kg dry matter per hectare. The cultivars analyzed without nitrogen application had limited growth and showed no adjustment even to the first order linear model. The application of nitrogen decreased the interval between cuts and increased dry matter production per hectare following the exponential growth model.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o impacto dos fatores de produção na frequência de ordenha e a influência desta sobre o bem-estar animal em ordenha robótica. O experimento foi realizado com vacas da raça Holandesa confinadas em “free stall”. Para a avaliação do impacto dos fatores de produção, foram determinados escore corporal, produção de leite e consumo de concentrado. Na determinação dos efeitos da frequência de ordenha sobre o bem-estar, foram avaliados os escores de locomoção e de tetos e o cortisol sérico. Formaram-se três grupos experimentais de acordo com a frequência média diária de ordenha: 1,0 a 1,9; 2,1 a 2,9 e acima de 3,0 ordenhas. A diminuição da frequência de ordenha durante a lactação foi relacionada à redução do consumo de concentrado e da produção de leite. Já o aumento da frequência de ordenha foi relacionado à redução do fluxo de leite e ao aumento da duração da ordenha. A frequência de ordenha foi influenciada por consumo de concentrado, problemas de locomoção, produção de leite e estágio de lactação. O nível de cortisol e as condições de tetos não foram afetados pela freqüência de ordenha. A frequência de ordenha tem impacto no fluxo de leite, na duração da ordenha e na composição do leite; porém, não há efeito sobre os indicadores de bem-estar animal.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of production factors on milking frequency and the latter’s effect on animal welfare in robotic milking. The experiment was performed with Holstein Friesian cows housed in free-stall barns. To assess the impact of production factors, body condition score, milk yield, and concentrate intake were determined. To determine the effects of the milking frequency on welfare, the locomotion and teat-end scores and serum cortisol level were evaluated. Three experimental groups were formed according to the daily average milking frequency: 1.0 to 1.9, 2.1 to 2.9, and above 3.0 milkings per day. The decrease in milking frequency during lactation was related to the reduction in concentrate intake and milk yield. The increase in milking frequency was related to the reduction in the milk flow and the increase in milking duration. Milking frequency was affected by concentrate intake, locomotion problems, milk yield, and lactation stage. The cortisol level and teat-end conditions were not affected by milking frequency. Milking frequency impacts milk flow, duration of milking, and milk composition; however, there is no effect on the indicators of animal welfare.