Effects of crossbreeding on milk production and composition in dairy sheep under organic management
Juan C. Angeles Hernandez A , Octavio A. Castelan Ortega B , Aurora H. Ramirez Perez A and Manuel González Ronquillo B C DA Programa de Maestría y Doctorado en Ciencias de la Producción y de la Salud Animal, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Delegación Coyoacán, 04510. México, D.F.
B Departamento de Nutrición Animal. Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Instituto Literario 100, 50000, Toluca, México.
C Facultad de Ciencias, Escuela de Ciencias y Tecnología en Recursos Agrícolas y Acuícolas, Universidad de Magallanes, Manuel Bulnes 01855, Punta Arenas 6210427, Décima Segunda Región de Magallanes y La Antártica Chilena, Chile.
D Corresponding author. Email: mrg@uaemex.mx
Animal Production Science 54(10) 1641-1645 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14214
Submitted: 12 March 2014 Accepted: 17 June 2014 Published: 19 August 2014
Abstract
The crossbreeding of local sheep breeds with dairy breeds is an option to improve dairy production parameters in organic sheep dairy systems. Weekly milk yield (WMY) was recorded and individual samples of milk for chemical analysis were taken during 17 weeks from 45 dairy ewes of the following three genotypes: 15 East Friesian (EF), 15 EF × Suffolk (EF × SF) and 15 EF × Pelibuey (EF × PL) under organic management. For analysis of the lactation curve the Wood gamma model was used. The effect of genotype on the WMY was analysed using repeated-measures. The comparison of the least square means among genotypes for total milk yield (TMY), daily milk yield, protein content, protein yield, fat content, fat yield, non-fat solids concentration, non-fat solids yield, total solids yield and acidity was analysed using a general linear model. The genetic group influenced only in the ascent phase of the lactation curve, with values of the Parameter b of model Wood higher in EF (P = 0.01). There were no differences (P > 0.05) between genotypes in relation to the WMY, TMY, protein content and acidity; however, the effects of week of lactation trial and the interaction of genotype and week of lactation trial on WMY were significant (P < 0.05). The values of daily milk yield, fat yield, protein yield and total solids yield were higher (P < 0.005) in EF and EF × SF than EF × PL. Fat content was higher in EF × PL. EF × SF had similar values of TMY than EF and better chemical composition, which places this genotype as an option of crossbreeding in dairy sheep systems under organic management with similar agro climatic characteristics to the present study.
Additional keywords: ewe milk production, milk yields, organic farming.
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