Milking reactivity influences daily yield and electrical resistance of milk in Jaffarabadi buffaloes

Background: Buffalo reactivity during milking affects milking procedures, milk yield, and quality. Aims: This study evaluated the influence of milking reactivity on the yield, composition, somatic cell count, pH, and electrical resistance of milk in Jaffarabadi buffaloes. Methods: A 1-4 point scale, based on leg movement, was used to assess the milking reactivity of buffaloes (n=40). Based on the milking reactivity score, animals were classified into four groups: reactivity score-1 (RS1), reactivity score-2 (RS2), reactivity score-3 (RS3), and reactivity score-4 (RS4). The influence of milking reactivity on yield, composition, somatic cell count, pH, and electrical resistance of milk was observed. Results: Buffaloes with RS1 and RS2 produced significantly (P≤0.001) higher daily milk yield, 6% fat-corrected yield, solid-corrected yield, and energy-corrected yield than the RS3+4 group. Milking reactivity score did not influence milk fat, protein, lactose, ash, solid-not-fat, total solids content, and the fat: protein ratio. However, daily yield of milk fat (P 0.001), protein (P=0.001), lactose (P=0.001), ash (P=0.002), solid-not-fat (P=0.001), and total solids (P 0.001) were significantly higher in buffaloes in the RS1 and RS2 groups than in the RS3+4 group. Milk somatic cell count and somatic cell score were not influenced by milking reactivity score (P 0.05). Milk density and pH did not differ significantly (P 0.05) between groups. However, the electrical resistance of milk in the RS1 group was significantly (P 0.05) higher than in the RS2 and RS3+4 groups. Conclusion: Milking reactivity influences daily milk yield, milk component yield, and electrical resistance, but not milk composition in Jaffarabadi buffaloes.