MILK QUANTITY, COMPOSITION AND HYGIENE TRAITS OF ROUTINELY MACHINE MILKED LIPIZZAN MARES

The aim of the study was to research milk yield, composition and hygienic quality of routinely produced milk from Lipizzan mares. It was the first known case of adapting mares of this breed to the routine machine milking procedure. Three Lipizzan mares included in the routine machine milking produced commercial quantities of mare’s milk. Milk from Lipizzan horse breed was for the first time obtained and analysed in such quantity. The mares were milked consecutively three times per day during five days in a week, and during weekends, they were joined with their foals. The average values were as follows: daily milk yield (MY) was 8.24 kg, fat content (FC) was 4.027 g/kg, protein content (PC) was 15.064 g/kg, lactose content (LC) was 63.218 g/kg, somatic cell count (SCC) was 6.556 x 10³/ml, total bacteria count (TBC) was 114.689 x 10³/ml, and average freezing point (FP) was -0.505 °C. Consecutive milking significantly influenced PC, LC, SCC, and TBC. FC tended to increase with days in milk, whereas PC, SCC, and TBC decreased during the lactation stage. Significant differences between mares were found in PC, LC, SSC and TBC. Interaction between consecutive milking and mare was significant only for FC. The study confirmed that warmblooded horse breed can be used for commercial milk production along with coldblooded breeds. Routine machine milk production with use of Lipizzan mares could add an economic value to the indigenous breed and serve as an additional reason for its preservation.Key words: milk composition; milk yield; days in milk; consecutive milking; hygienic quality KOLIČINA, SESTAVA IN HIGIENSKA KAKOVOST MLEKA PRIDOBLJENEGA Z RUTINSKO STROJNO MOLŽO LIPICANSKIH KOBILPovzetek: Pridobili in raziskali smo komercialno količino namolženega mleka kobil lipicanske pasme. Rutinska mehanska molža treh kobil je potekala na raziskovalni ustavnovi, registrirani za prirejo kobiljega mleka. Rezultati so pokazali, da je bila povprečna dnevna količina mleka (KM) 8,24 kg, mleko pa je v povprečju vsebovalo 4,027 g maščobe/kg, 15,064 g beljakovin/kg in 63,218 g laktoze/kg. Povprečno število somatskih celic v mleku je bilo 6,556 x 10³/ml, povprečno skupno število mikroorganizmov 114,689 x 10³/ml, povprečna zmrziščna točka (ZT) mleka pa -0,505 °C. Rezultati analize variance so pokazali, da se količina beljakovin in laktoze ter število somatskih celic in skupno število mikroorganizmov statistično značilno razlikujejo glede na zaporedno molžo ter med posameznimi kobilami t