Seasonal fluctuations in individual milk parameters in free-range cows

Understanding milk composition is essential for the Ukrainian dairy industry due to its impact on dairy products' nutritional value, processing characteristics, and functional properties. The drive to achieve high profitability in the dairy industry worldwide has led to different calving models and feeding systems depending on the region's most profitable and efficient form of milk production. This has led to significant regional differences in milk composition. The aim was to analyze individual indicators in raw milk from free-range cows. Their minimum and maximum limits were determined at Komyshuvatskyi Milk Complex LLC, which is key when determining the grade of milk. The content of fat, protein, and somatic cells of raw milk from the farm's industrial herd of cows was analyzed for the period from May 2023 to April 2024. The indicators we selected demonstrated seasonal trends. Significant relationships in the protein-fat system were identified. A decrease in fat content was monitored during the summer period, with the lowest indicator of 3.63 % in July and the maximum of 4.14 % in December. It was found that the average protein index in raw milk was 3.35 %, with a fundamental norm of 3.0, and the peak reached the level of 3.42 between November and January. At the same time, the fat-to-protein ratio in the cows' raw milk did not fall below – 1.14, which proves proper feeding. The average level of somatic cells for the selected period was 245.45 ± 15.72 thousand/cm³. At the same time, this indicator also showed fluctuations, which rose in the winter season to 318.97 thousand cells/ml but did not exceed the established norms according to DSTU 3662:2018 Raw cow milk—technical conditions. The results of veterinary reporting prove that obtaining milk in the conditions of this farm, where well-established work ensures its high quality, may be more suitable for producing various products, including baby food, at different times of the year.