Composition of the milks of dairy cattle. II. Ash, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Milks from commercial dairy herds in Southeastern Pennsylvania were analyzed for ash, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Milk samples were from single milkings of 151 healthy purebred cows in midlactation. The data represent market milk composition. Average values for all animals were ash .78%, calcium 1.25 g/liter, magnesium .11 g/liter, and phosphorus 1.14 g/liter. The data also were grouped and analyzed by breed and beta-lactoglobulin phenotype. Breeds differed in all inorganic components with 18 to 33 cows per breed. No differences in ash, calcium, magnesium, or phosphorus were significant when the data were grouped by beta-lactoglobulin phenotype.