Concentration of Ca, Mg, K, Na, P and Zn in milk in two subspecies of red deer: Cervus elaphus hispanicus and C. e. scoticus

This study examines the concentration of milk minerals (Ca, K, Mg, Na, P and Zn) and factors affecting it in six Iberian and six Scottish red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus and C. e. scoticus, respectively), examined by means of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) atomic emission spectrometry. Increasing the calf birth weight increased K, Na, and P concentration in milk, and decreased Mg and Zn, but did not affect Ca. Subspecies, hind weight at calving, stage of lactation, and square component of stage of lactation affected only some mineral constituents, whereas sex and a square component of stage of lactation affected none. Mean concentrations found for Ca, K, Mg, Na, P and Zn were 1717, 860, 109, 233, 901 and 9.06 mg/kg, respectively. There was a positive correlation between Ca and P, and between Ca and Mg. Sodium correlated negatively with lactose and protein to fat ratio and positively with fat, but no other significant correlation was found between protein, fat or lactose and any mineral.