Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-mp689 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-24T05:11:45.867Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The milk yield and milk composition of the Greek indigenous goat (Capra prisca) as influenced by duration of suckling period

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

D. Zygoyiannis
D. Zygoyiannis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Get access

Abstract

Two groups, A and B, each consisting of 12 Greek indigenous goats suckling single kids were traditionally fed during a 36-week lactation period. During the suckling period (6 and 12 weeks for the groups A and B, respectively) milk production was estimated at 7-day intervals. During the milking period (30 and 24 weeks for the groups A and B, respectively) the goats were hand milked twice daily and their milk production was measured at intervals of 4 weeks. Milk samples were analysed for fat, protein, lactose, ash and dry matter concentration. Solids-not-fat and energy concentration were calculated. During lactation the goats were weighed weekly up to week 12 and monthly thereafter and body condition score was assessed at each weighing.

Goats with a 6-week suckling period produced significantly less milk throughout lactation but significantly more marketable milk than those with a 12-week suckling period. Yield peaked at the 6th and 10th weeks of lactation respectively, then declined rapidly and tailed off gradually from weeks 7 and 16 respectively. Milk composition was affected only occasionally by the duration of the suckling period. Thus, fat concentration was higher for the group with the 6-week suckling period between weeks 7 and 16, whilst protein was higher between weeks 8 and 12. Lactose concentration was lower for the same group between weeks 7 and 11, whilst ash concentration was similar in both groups. Live weight and body condition of the goats throughout lactation showed similar changes in both treatment groups.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 44 , Issue 1 , February 1987 , pp. 107 - 116
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Akinsoyinu, A. O., Mba, A. U. and Olubajo, F. O. 1977. Studies on milk yield and composition of the West African dwarf goat in Nigeria. Journal of Dairy Research 44: 57–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
British Standards Institute. 1963. Methods for the chemical analysis of liquid milk and cream. BS 1741. British Standards Institute, London.Google Scholar
Doney, J. M., Peart, J. N., Smith, W. F. and Louda, F. 1979. A consideration of the techniques for estimation of milk yield by suckled sheep and a comparison of estimates obtained by two methods in relation to the effect of breed, level of production and stage of lactation. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 92: 123–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ehoche, O. W. and Buvanendran, V. 1983. The yield and composition of milk and preweaning growth rate of Red Sokoto goats in Nigeria. World Review of Animal Production 19: (2), 19–24.Google Scholar
Flamant, J. C. and Morand-Fehr, P. 1982. Milk production in sheep and goats. In Sheep and Goat Production (ed. I. E. Coop), pp. 275–295. Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Folman, Y., Volcani, R. and Eyal, E. 1966. Mother-offspring relationships in Awassi sheep. 1. The effect of different suckling regimes and time of weaning on the lactation curve and milk yield in dairy flocks. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 67: 359–368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gall, C. 1981. Milk production. In Goat Production (ed. Gall, C.), pp. 309–344. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Guirgis, R. A., Kassem, M. M., Kazzal, N. T. and Abdallah, R. K. 1980. Lactation performance of ewes and the growth of lambs, in Awassi sheep, under two different suckling regimes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 94: 607–616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hadjipanayiotou, M. and Louca, A. 1976. The effects of partial suckling on the lactation performance of Chios sheep and Damascus goats and the growth rate of the lambs and kids. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 87: 15–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International Dairy Federation. 1974. Determination of total nitrogen (standard No. 20/1962), lactose (standard No. 28/1964) and total solids (standard No. 21/1962) content of milk. International Dairy Federation, Brussels.Google Scholar
Lawlor, M. J., Louca, A. and Mavrogenis, A. 1974. The effect of three suckling regimes on the lactation performance of Cyprus fat-tailed, Chios and Awassi. sheep and the growth rate of the lambs. Animal Production 18: 293–299.Google Scholar
Louca, A. 1972. The effect of suckling regime on growth rate and lactation performance of the Cyprus fat-tailed and Chios sheep. Animal Production 15: 53–59.Google Scholar
Louca, A., Mavrogenis, A. and Lawlor, M. J. 1975. The effect of early weaning on the lactation performance of Damascus goats and the growth rate of the kids. Animal Production 20: 213–218.Google Scholar
McDonald, P., Edwards, R. A. and Greenhalgh, J. F. D. 1973. Animal Nutrition. 2nd ed., p. 322. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Mavrogenis, A. P., Constantinou, A. and Louca, A. 1984. Environmental and genetic causes of variation in production traits of Damascus goats. 2. Goat productivity. Animal Production 38: 99–104.Google Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., DOney, J. M. and Gunn, R. G. 1969. Subjective assessment of body fat in live sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 72: 451–454.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singh, R. N., Acharya, R. M. and Biswas, D. K. 1970. Evaluation of genetic and non-genetic factors affecting some economic traits in goats. Ada Agriculturae Scandinavica 20: 10–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zygoyiannis, D. and Katsaounis, N. 1986. Milk yield and milk composition of indigenous goats (Capra prisca) in Greece. Animal Production 42: 365–374.Google Scholar
Zygoyiannis, D., Sim, D. A., Smith, A. D. M. and Doney, J. M. 1982. The behaviour of suckled and artificially reared lambs at pasture. Scientific Yearbook of Veterinary Faculty, Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki 21: 2–12.Google Scholar