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Milk yield and mammary function in goats during and after once-daily milking

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2009

Colin J. Wilde
Affiliation:
Hannah Research Institute, Ayr KA6 5HL, UK
Christopher H. Knight
Affiliation:
Hannah Research Institute, Ayr KA6 5HL, UK

Summary

Starting in week 5 of lactation, goats were milked unilaterally once daily for 4 ½ weeks, then twice daily for 12 weeks and finally thrice daily for 2 weeks. The control gland was milked twice daily throughout. During less frequent milking, yield fell by 26%. There was a rapid and essentially complete recovery of milk yield on resumption of twice-daily milking, and five of the six goats subsequently responded to thrice-daily milking with a small increase in milk yield. Mammary function was assessed during each phase by determining enzyme activities and in vitro synthesis rates of lactose and casein in mammary biopsies. There was a trend towards reduced differentiation of secretory cells during infrequent milking, with very little recovery during twice-daily milking but complete recovery during thrice-daily milking. The differentiative state of the control gland remained unchanged throughout.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 1990

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References

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