Short communication: Red deer (Cervus elaphus) colostrum during its transition to milk

摘要

We studied changes in chemical composition, somaticcell count, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM)content in red deer (Cervus elaphus) colostrum duringthe transition to milk at different times after parturition(<5 h, 24 h, 48 h, 2 wk, and 4 wk). The productionlevel was higher at 2 and 4 wk of lactation than duringthe first day after parturition, with intermediate valuesat 48 h postpartum. Fat content did not vary duringthe study period. However, total protein and caseincontents were particularly high in the initial 5 h afterparturition, decreasing to approximately 50% after 24 hpostpartum. Conversely, lactose concentration was lowin the beginning (<5 h), increasing gradually throughoutthe study. Similarly, dry matter dropped duringthe first 24 h and then remained constant throughoutthe study. Urea content decreased during the study,showing a slight recovery at 4 wk. Somatic cell countwas higher during the first hours after parturition andgradually decreased throughout the study period. TheIgG content was higher before 5 h postpartum thanat 24 h postpartum. After 5 h, the level of IgG decreasedprogressively until it reached 0.18 mg/mL at 4wk of lactation. We observed a similar pattern for IgMcontent, but it decreased more quickly than IgG andwas not detected after 2 wk. In the case of deer, milkshould be considered transitional from 24 to 48 h afterparturition, and samples collected after 2 wk can beconsidered mature milk.