Use of the DeLaval cell counter (DCC) on goats' milk

Milk quality is measured by a variety of parameters and one of these is the number of somatic cells in the milk. Within the bovine dairy industry there are maximum acceptable levels on bulk milk cell counts and these are being introduced into caprine dairy production. The reference method for cell counting in goats is the direct microscope (DM) method using pyronin Y-methyl green stain, which stains cell DNA. The use of the DeLaval cell counter (DCC) on goats' milk was compared with this reference method. Samples from 102 udder halves were cell counted using the direct microscope method and the DeLaval cell counter (DCC). Each sample was counted twice by two different observers by the DM method and once using DCC. DCC showed large coefficients of regression (1.03) and correlation (0.95) when compared with the DM cell count (F1,199=1080.0; P<0.001). Goat, udder half and reader type were significant factors.