Variation in milk composition of badri cattle at different altitudes of Uttarakhand

This study was conducted on the milk samples of 71 animals of Badri cattle reared at different altitudes of the state of Uttarakhand in India. The milk samples were analysed using LACTOSCAN milk analyzer. The analysis revealed that the mean of different milk composition parameters viz., fat, SNF, total solid, lactic acid, protein, lactose, glucose, galactose, casein and density (g/L) were 5.65±0.14%, 9.90±0.08%, 15.53±0.14%, 0.17±0.01%, 4.32±0.08%, 4.97±0.05%, 0.15±0.01%, 0.16±0.34%, 3.55±0.05%, 1031.5±0.38 g/L, respectively. The statistical analysis showed that the milk composition parameters viz., fat, SNF, total solids, protein and galactosevaried significantly (p-value<0.05) with the change in altitude of their habitation. The fat % was significantly higher in the milk of animals reared at an altitude around 1600 meters in Champawat district. The SNF and total solids was significantly higher at lower altitudes of 550 meters and lesser at high altitudes above 1600 meters.The possible reason may be the difference in the availability of green fodders and concentrates at different altitudes. The study will aid in efficient feeding management of animals reared at different altitudes of the breeding tract for desired levels of milk composition parameters.