The effect of suckling, management and season on sheep milk production as estimated by lamb growth

1962 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Doney ◽  
Joan Munro

1. The mean daily live-weight gains of lambs from the 1956–59 flock records were used to estimate the milk yield of ewes during the first six weeks of lactation.2. The yield was affected by the number of lambs suckled but not by the number born. Ewes rearing twins on the hill gave a higher yield than those rearing singles (145%–155%). Good grazing raised the yield to twice that of ewes rearing singles on the hill.3. In 3 out of the 4 years the utilised yield was remarkably constant in the case of ewes rearing single lambs, but ewes rearing twins on the hill were more variable. Ewes rearing twins on low ground did not show any significant seasonal differences.4. From an experiment on 36 ewes it was confirmed that twin-rearing ewes produce more milk than single-rearing ewes in all environments. There was no difference between ewes rearing one lamb whether born as a single or as a twin. Leaving two lambs on the ewe for a few days to establish a high level of milk yield did not benefit the remaining lamb after its twin was removed.

1966 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-95
Author(s):  
G. D. Sacker ◽  
J. C. M. Trail

1. The mean daily live weight gains of lambs were used to estimate the milk production of ewes and gimmers during the first 8 weeks of lactation. Records of 1178 lambings of East African Blackheaded sheep between the years 1952 and 1962 were available.2. Gimmers had significantly lower production than second and subsequent lamb ewes. Ewes rearing twins had a significantly higher yield than ewes rearing singles. There appeared to be no difference in yield between ewes producing twins but rearing singles, and ewes rearing natural singles.3. A long dry season with resultant lowered plane of nutrition significantly reduced the live-weight gain of lambs.


1960 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Coombe ◽  
I. D. Wardrop ◽  
D. E. Tribe

1. Milk yields of grazing ewes with single lambs were estimated using two methods—the traditional lamb-suckling technique, and a technique involving hand-milking following stimulated let-down by intravenous injection of posterior pituitary gland extract (known as the oxytocin technique).2. The oxytocin technique gave significantly higher figures for milk production than did the lamb-suckling technique (P < 0·01), and this persisted throughout lactation. Variation between ewes was similar for both techniques.3. The two techniques are discussed in relation to the errors involved, and their accuracy and convenience of application to field conditions.4. Differences in milk yield between Border Leicester x Merino ewes, and Romney Marsh x Merino ewes, estimated by either technique, were not significant. Correlation coefficients between lamb growth rate and milk yield of the ewe, measured by either technique, were high up to 7 weeks of age.5. Where the ewes were under the same nutritional conditions before and after lambing, milk yield was not related to the live weight of the ewe, or birth weight of the lamb.


1975 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. Peart ◽  
J. M. Doney ◽  
A. J. MacDonald

SUMMARYThe milk intakes of single-born Texel x Blackface and of pure-bred Blackface lambs suckling Blackface ewes was measured using a lamb-suckling technique. The shapes of the lactation curves were similar but the mean milk intake of the Texel x Blackface lambs was substantially greater than that of the pure-bred lambs at all points on the lactation curve. The Texel x Blackface lambs attained a mean maximum daily milk intake of 2418 g and the pure-breds 2075 g; mean total milk intakes during an 84-day period were 157 and 128 kg, respectively. Mean birth weights were 5·08 and 4·98 kg and the subsequent mean daily live-weight gains were 364 and 344 g, respectively, for the Texel x Blackface and pure-bred lambs. It is concluded that lamb genotype had a substantial and significant influence on the milk production of the ewes.


2001 ◽  
Vol 2001 ◽  
pp. 203-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Jaurena ◽  
J. M. Moorby ◽  
W. J. Fisher ◽  
D. W. R. Davies

Nutritional manipulation during the dry period can alter subsequent animal responses to feeding in terms of milk yield and composition. Previous research has shown interesting differences in milk production and composition due to energy or protein supply in the dry period (Moorbyet al., 1996). The objective of this experiment was to test the interaction between energy and protein supplies during the dry period on subsequent milk production and composition. Effects on live weight gains and condition scores are reported in a separate summary (Jaurenaet al., 2001).


Author(s):  
V. Dodokhov ◽  
N. Pavlova ◽  
T. Rumyantseva ◽  
L. Kalashnikova

The article presents the genetic characteristic of the Chukchi reindeer breed. The object of the study was of the Chukchi reindeer. In recent years, the number of reindeer of the Chukchi breed has declined sharply. Reduced reindeer numbers could lead to biodiversity loss. The Chukchi breed of deer has good meat qualities, has high germination viability and is adapted in adverse tundra conditions of Yakutia. Herding of the Chukchi breed of deer in Yakutia are engaged only in the Nizhnekolymsky district. There are four generic communities and the largest of which is the agricultural production cooperative of nomadic tribal community «Turvaurgin», which was chosen to assess the genetic processes of breed using microsatellite markers: Rt6, BMS1788, Rt 30, Rt1, Rt9, FCB193, Rt7, BMS745, C 143, Rt24, OheQ, C217, C32, NVHRT16, T40, C276. It was found that microsatellite markers have a wide range of alleles and generally have a high informative value for identifying of genetic differences between animals and groups of animal. The number of identified alleles is one of the indicators of the genetic diversity of the population. The total number of detected alleles was 127. The Chukchi breed of deer is characterized by a high level of heterozygosity, and the random crossing system prevails over inbreeding in the population. On average, there were 7.9 alleles (Na) per locus, and the mean number of effective alleles (Ne) was 4.1. The index of fixation averaged 0.001. The polymorphism index (PIC) ranged from 0.217 to 0.946, with an average of 0.695.


1987 ◽  
Vol 109 (2) ◽  
pp. 375-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Sutton ◽  
J. A. Bines ◽  
S. V. Morant ◽  
D. J. Napper ◽  
D. J. Givens

SummaryTwenty-four Friesian cows were allocated to one of four diets for weeks 3–14 of lactation following 2 weeks on a common diet. The diets (kg air-dry feed/day) were 7–2 kg hay and 10·8 kg either starchy or fibrous concentrates (60S and 60F) or 3·5 kg hay and 14·0 kg either starchy or fibrous concentrates (80S and 80F). Rumen samples were taken by stomach tube in weeks 10 and 12 of lactation and the digestibility of the diets was measured with four cows per treatment during weeks 13 and 14. The digestibility of the same feeds was also measured in sheep at maintenance.The principal carbohydrate constituents of the concentrates were barley, wheat and cassava in the starchy concentrates and citrus pulp, sugar-beet pulp and wheat feed in the fibrous concentrates. The concentrates were designed to have similar concentrations of metabolizable energy (ME) and the diets were planned to provide similar intakes of digestible energy and crude protein.Milk yield and composition were very similar for treatments 60S and 60F. With the higher proportion of starchy concentrates (80S), milk yield was about 20% greater than on 60S, fat concentration fell severely but protein and lactose concentrations were unaffected. With the higher proportion of fibrous concentrates (80F), milk yield and the protein and lactose concentration were similar to values on 60F but fat concentration was lower, though not nearly so low as on 80S. Milk energy yield was reduced by the higher proportion of concentrates but was unaffected by type of carbohydrates. Live-weight changes were small.In both the sheep, consuming at maintenance, and the lactating cows consuming at about 3 times maintenance, digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and energy was higher with the higher concentrate diets but was unaffected by type of concentrate. The digestibility of fibre was greater with the fibrous concentrates but the effect of level of concentrate inclusion was inconsistent. Digestibility coefficients were consistently lower for the lactating cows than for the sheep.The proportion of acetic acid in the rumen volatile fatty acids in the cows was higher and the proportion of propionic acid was lower with the fibrous concentrates. The differences were much greater with the higher proportion of concentrates.During weeks 15–22 of lactation the cows were reallocated to concentrate treatments and given hay ad libitum. Hay intake was about 1 kg/day higher with the fibrous concentrates but the difference was not significant. Hay intake fell by about 0·6 kg/kg concentrate intake for both concentrate types. No significant differences in milk yield or composition were established, probably because of incomplete adaptation even after 8 weeks.It is concluded that at concentrate intakes of about 10 kg/day, the source of carbohydrate in the concentrates has little effect on milk production when the concentrates are of similar ME concentration. However, at higher levels of concentrate inclusion, although the diets may have similar ME concentrations, important differences in the yields of fat, protein and lactose occur due to carbohydrate source and these can be related to differences in rumen fermentation.


1970 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. T. Treacher

SUMMARY1. Scottish Half-bred ewes carrying twin foetuses were fed individually to make live-weight gains in the last six weeks of pregnancy of (1) 20%, (2) 10% and (3) 0% of their live weight in week 14 of pregnancy. In lactation the ewes were fed ad libitum. The lambs were removed 12 to 16 hr after parturition and the ewes were machine-milked twice daily for the first six weeks of lactation.2. Total birth weights per ewe of twin lambs from the treatments were (1) 10·10 kg, (2) 9·44 kg and (3) 8·18 kg and differed significantly.3. The level and pattern of voluntary intake in lactation did not differ significantly between the treatments. Total dry-matter intakes in the six weeks of lactation were (1) 121·9 kg (2) 105·9 kg and (3) 109·5 kg.4. The pregnancy treatments affected the level of milk production and the shape of lactation curves. The total yields in the first six weeks of lactation were (1) 58·8 kg, (2) 43·5 kg and (3) 26·9 kg. Higher contents of fat and protein and the lower content of lactose in the milk from treatment-3 ewes on days 1 and 3 of lactation indicated a slower onset of lactation in these ewes. Between days 7 and 35 of lactation the contents of fat and SNF were lowest on treatment 3 but the differences were not significant.5. The live-weight changes in lactation, which were in inverse order to the gains in late pregnancy, were (1) 3·4 kg, (2) 5·5 kg and (3) 9·5 kg.


Author(s):  
N. Kosyachenko ◽  
Marina Abramova ◽  
M. Lapina

Abstract. Aim. The study of the influence of crossbriding on the growth and development of heifers and subsequent productive and reproductive qualities of cows on the first lactation. Methods. Using statistical methods, correlation analysis and ANOVA for evaluated genetic indicators of economic-valuable traits of dairy cattle. In particular was studied live weight of heifers from birth to 18 months, first insemination age and first fecundation age, live weight at fecundation, frequency of insemination, first calving age, days open, live weight at first lactation, milk yield for 305 days (kg), fat (%, kg) and protein (%, kg) in milk. Results. Relationship between productive indicators and the genotype of the animal is established. When assessing the strength of the influence of the factor «blood on the Holstein breed» it was found that the greatest impact can be traced at the age of 6 and 18 months, and is respectively 12.7 % and 17.1 %.The reproductive qualities of the first-calf cows decreased with the increase percent of blood in the Holstein breed. Evaluation of the impact of crossbreeding on milk production at first lactation has revealed significant strong influence on milk yield for 305 days of first lactation, and related signs the amount of milk fat and protein. According to qualitative indicators, the low influence of the Holstein blood fraction was found, while to a greater extent on the fat content than on the protein content in milk. Evaluation of phenotypic and genotypic correlations of milk yield and quality components of milk revealed average negative phenotypic and low negative genotypic correlation in all groups. The exception was in heifers of Yaroslavl breed with percent of Holstein blood less than 50 %, in which the relationship of yield x protein was positive. The relationship between milk yield and fat and protein content in milk has the opposite moderate character and strength. Practical significance. Studies was established that breeding of animals of Holstein and Yaroslavl breeds in one herd allows to receive an optimum ratio of milk production with optimal percentage fat and protein. For this herd among animals of the improved genotypes of the Yaroslavl breed, the use of genotypes with a percent of blood in the Holstein breed from 75.1 % to 87.6 % is optimal, which should be taken into account when selecting bulls to the breeding program.


1972 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Milne ◽  
E. F. Thomson ◽  
R. C. Campling

SUMMARYTwo experiments were conducted to compare the milk-producing value of dried forages in the form of cobs and pellets as replacements for a standard dairy concentrate. Four levels (0·33, 0·44, 0·55 and 0·66 kg/kg milk) of dried forage or standard dairy concentrate were offered in addition to a basal ration of 6 kg hay and 2 kg standard dairy concentrate. In both experiments the rate of eating by the cows of cobs was significantly slower (P<0·05) than that of pellets. No significant difference was found between the cobs and pellets in either experiment in their value for milk production. In Experiment 2 the standard dairy concentrate had a non-significantly higher (P>0·05) milk-producing value than the dried lucerne. Level of feeding had a significant positive effect on the milk yield (P< 0·001) of cows offered the dried grass and lucerne and on the milk solids- not-fat content (P<0·05) and live weight (P<0·01) of cows offered the dried grass, lucerne and standard dairy concentrate.


1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 653-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. R. SHARMA ◽  
J. R. INGALLS ◽  
J. A. MCKIRDY

In experiment 1, 12 cows were used to compare the two (0–0) rapeseed meal (1788 and Tower) varieties with the commercial rapeseed meal (CRSM) and soybean meal (SBM). Feed intake, milk yield and fat content were not different (P > 0.05) among the four treatments; however, protein content was higher (P < 0.05) for the cows fed CRSM and SBM diets than for those fed the 1788–RSM diet. But more (P < 0.05) milk fat was produced by the cows fed 1788–RSM than by those fed CRSM and SBM diets. In experiment 2, eight cows were used to determine the effects of replacing SBM with Tower and also replacing a portion of Tower with urea (TU) in a mixed or extruded (TUE) form on feed intake, milk yield and nitrogen (N) retention. No differences were observed in feed consumption, milk yield or composition among the treatments. Serum thyroxine (T4) level was higher (P < 0.05) for the cows fed SBM than for those fed the 1788–SBM and was similar to levels for cows fed CRSM and Tower in the first experiment. However, no differences were found in thyroxine level in the second experiment. Extrusion of Tower–urea mixture increased (P < 0.05) the N retention compared with other treatments. These short-term studies suggest that up to 25% Tower RSM can be used in dairy rations without adverse effect on performance.


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