[The cell count in sheep and goat milk]

The udder health of 404 sheep from 23 flocks and 397 goats from 15 herds in Lower Austria was examined. In order to determine cell levels, the Schalm Test (equivalent to the California mastitis test) and a fluoroscopic "Fossomatic" cell count appliance were employed. The resultant physiological median levels of somatic cell content were established as 71,000 cells/ml for sheep milk and 415,000 cells/ml for goat milk. Significant factors influencing the cell count levels were the milking technique in both species and age in sheep but not in goats. The pathogens most frequently isolated as causes of chronic or latent mastitis were coagulase-positive and -negative cocci.