The study was conducted on Saanen goats raised in Croatia. The object of the study was to determine the average litter size (LS), birth weight (BW) and total litter weight (TLW). The study included a ...total of 2 500 goats among which 1 786 were phenotyped. A total of 6 349 records for BW and 4 256 records for LS and TLW were used in descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Determined averages for LS, BW and TLW were 1.74 lambs, 3.27 kg and 5.65 kg, respectively. Twinning and tripling rates were 36.9% and 6.2%. Single-trait analysis under repeatability animal model was used in estimation of variance components and prediction of breeding values. Season (as year-month interaction), age at lambing (as quadratic regression) nested within parity and type of birth were treated as fixed, while herd-year, additive genetic, permanent environmental and residual were treated as random effects, respectively. Investigated environmental effects significantly affected all reproductive traits (p<0.001). The largest phenotype variability among investigated traits was determined for TLW. Additive genetic effect accounted for 7%, 5% and 4% in total variability for LS, BW and TLW, respectively. Genetic trends of reproductive traits were estimated for the period from year 2000 to 2010. A positive genetic trend was determined for LS, a negative genetic trend for BW and genetic stagnation for TLW.
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The aim of this paper was to study the effects of breed, stage of lactation, season of kidding and parity on goat milk yield and composition. A total of 25255 records of daily milk production and ...25065 records of fat percentage, 25382 records of protein percentage and 24810 records of lactose percentage were obtained, at approximately monthly intervals, from 3702 Alpine and 411 Saanen goats in Croatia. The analysed data were recorded during 2006. Saanen breed had significantly (P<0.01) higher lactation and daily milk yield than Alpine breed (720 kg and 2.63 kg/day versus 577 kg and 2.08 kg/day, respectively). The contents of protein and lactose were similar between investigated breeds, while Alpine goats had significantly higher (P<0.05) milk fat content than Saanen goats (3.47 % versus 3.25 %, respectively). Least square analyses showed significant effects of stage of lactation, season of kidding and parity on almost all variables. Milk lactose content tended to decline as the lactation period progressed and milk yield decreased. Milk protein content tended to increase with the lactation period. The lowest content of milk fat was established in the mid stage of lactation, whereas the highest fat content was recorded at the end of lactation. The effect of parity on total lactation and daily milk yield shows an almost steady growing trend from first to fourth lactation. Goats kidding early in the year had better milking performances (longer lactation period, higher milk yield, higher content of milk fat) than goats kidding in the spring. In order to improve lactation performances of their animals, the goat farmers should apply earlier mating season and use the appropriate breeding programmes.
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Considering the facts that Istrian sheep is Croatian indigenous breed with the highest milk production, and increasing interest of local farmers for machine milking implementation, the aim of this ...study was to determine the factors affecting udder morphology traits of Istrian ewes. Ninetythree purebred Istrian ewes with symmetrical udders and no signs of clinical mastitis, from second to fourth lactation, were used for this study. Average udder depth of Istrian ewes was 15.85 cm, udder width 13.05 cm, udder circumference 39.66 cm, cistern height 1.44 cm, teat position 2.85 (scored from 1 to 5), teat angle 47.32°, teat length 3.43 cm and teat width 2.03 cm. The traits related to udder size (depth, width, and circumference) were significantly (P<0.01) affected by lactation milk yield. These traits were also in high and positive correlations (P<0.01) with daily milk yield. With the increase of parity, the morphological aptitude of udder to mechanical milking become worse, with an increase (P<0.01) of cistern height, teat angle and position. As lactation of Istrian ewes continued morphological traits defining udder aptitude for machine milking improved (decrease of cistern height, teat angle and position). Ewes with two and more lambs had larger udder (P<0.05) than ewes with a single lamb.
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The objective of this study was to analyse the effect of stage of lactation, parity, litter size, and lambing season on daily milk production and fat and protein content in Istrian sheep. Data ...included9.533 test-day records of 2.024 ewes for the period from October 2005 to May 2009. Daily milk yield and fat and protein content were determined during monthly milking controls using AT4 method. The stage of lactation, described by Wilmink lactation curve, had significant effect (P<0.001) on all studied milk traits of Istrian sheep. The peak of daily milk production was achieved between the 20th and 30th day of lactation and gradually decreased towards the end of lactation. Lactation curves for fat and protein content had opposite shape compared to the daily milk yield lactation curve. Parity affected (P<0.05) the daily milk yield and protein content. Daily milk yield and protein content were the lowest in the first and the highest in the third parity. Statistically significant influence of litter size (P<0.05) was determined for daily milk yield and fat content. A higher daily milk yield and lower fat content was observed in ewes lambing twins compared to ewes lambing singles. Differences in daily milk yield and contents were observed for the lambing season effect (P<0.001). Istrian ewes lambed in December and November (first lambing season) had the highest daily milk production, while the lowest daily milk yield had ewes lambed in February.
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The objective of this study was to establish the impact of crossing the indigenous Cres sheep with Awassi and, respectively, Awassi and East Friesian sheep on the milk yield and quality. For this ...purpose, through regular monthly milk yield recordings a total of 824individual milk samples from 139 sheep in the second lactation of the same flock were collected, of which: 46 purebred Cres sheep, CS; 33 crosses with 50 % Cres sheep and 50 % Awassi, CA; 60 crosses with 50 % Cres sheep, 25 % Awassi and 25 % East Friesian, CAEF. The obtained results show a significant (P<0.05; P<0.01) impact of the genotype and the lactation stage on the yield and chemical composition of milk, and the somatic cell count. The most milk was yielded by CAEF crosses (690 mL/ewe/day, i.e., 133.8 L per lactation) and the least by CS (340 mL/ewe/day, i.e., 58.48 L per lactation). The content of total solids, fat and protein increased as lactation advanced, whereas the trend of the lactose content was opposite. The highest content of total solids, fat and protein were established in the milk of the indigenous Cres sheep. A positive correlation was established between the amount of yielded milk and the somatic cell count, whereas a negative correlation was established between the amount of milk and the content of solids, fat and proteins.
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The proximate composition and mineral content of light lambs muscle (derived from Istrian and Dalmatian Pramenka breeds) were studied. The M. Longissimus dorsi (MLD) samples of 30 carcasses were ...analysed and the effects of breed and sex were studied. Although lambs of investigated breeds were similar for slaughter age (2.5 months), Dalmatian Pramenka had significantly higher carcass weights (CW; P<0.05). Breed had a significant influence on moisture and fat contents, whilst mineral composition (with the exception of selenium) was scarcely affected by breed and sex. Fat and moisture contents were significantly correlated with cold CW. The magnesium, calcium, manganese and selenium contents were significantly correlated (r=0.50, -0.46, 0.44, 0.54; P<0.05 respectively) with CW. This study contributes to characterization of lamb carcasses from Istrian Sheep and Dalmatian Pramenka breeds and provides new data on the composition of the MLD of light lambs.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of year and season on milk fat content and physical properties (titratable acidity, pH value, freezing point, density) of ewe’s milk. Total of 114 ...bulk milk samples were collected from six flocks of purebred Dalmatian Pramenka ewes located in Splitsko-dalmatinska county (surrounding of Sinj and Drniš) during milking period (from early April till late August) in 2009 and 2010. In all investigated flocks ewes were kept in similar (semi-extensive) management system, with pasture dominated in summer ration, while meadow and alfalfa hay dominated in winter ration. Mean values of physicalchemical characteristics of milk were: milk fat content 6.96 %, titratable acidity 8.06 °SH, ionometric acidity 6.77 pH, freezing point -0.5611 °C, density 1.036 g/cm3. The year significantly affected the content of milk fat (P<0.05), as well as titratable acidity of milk (P<0.01). Significant influence of season on milk fat content (P<0.01) and all analyzed physical properties of milk (P <0.05) was determined.
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In Croatia, goats are primarily bred for meat production. However, for the past twenty years the interest in goat milk production was based on imported breeds such as Alpine-French, Saanen and German ...Improved Fawn goat. The purpose of this paper is to establish litter size of the principal goat breeds in Croatia and the indicators related to milk yield and chemical composition. The largest average litter size has been determined on the German Improved Fawn (1.72), then with the Boer (1.54), the Saanen (1.53) and the Croatian coloured goat (1.51), while the Alpine-French goat was the smallest (1.31). The longest lactation period (259 days) has been determined on the Alpine-French goat, while the largest milk yield during lactation (724.4 kg) and the largest milk fat yield (20.16 kg) and protein yield (18.64 kg) have been determined on the Saanen goat. However, it has been established that the Alpine-French goat milk has the highest average fat content (3.55 %), while the German Improved Fawn’s milk has the highest protein content (3.23 %). The Saanen goat had the longest milking period (222 days) and the shortest suckling period (32 days), while the Alpine-French and the German Improved Fawn had the longest suckling period (51 and 45 days, respectively). The lowest quantity of milk during the suckling period (102.97 kg, i.e. 14 %) was suckled by Saanen kids, while the Alpine-French (122.08 kg, i.e. 22 %) and the German Improved Fawn kids suckled the greatest quantity (116.31 kg, i.e. 22 %).
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The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the herd (A and B), stage of lactation (0-60th day; 61st-150th day and 151st - drying off) and number of lactation (I., II. III. IV. and other) ...on daily milk yield, physicalchemical properties and the hygienic quality of East Friesian sheep milk. The study was conducted during 2004 and 2005 years on a 100 sheep sample. The milk samples were taken during morning and evening milking after weaning, every 30 days during lactation. The physical-chemical properties and the hygienic quality of milk were determined by reference and standard methods. The collected data were statistically analysed by the PROC ANOVA, SAS programme. The East Friesian sheep in the lactation of 217 days, produced in average 1040 mL milk/day. A significant effect (P < 0,001) of the herd was determined on the daily milk yield, dry matter non fat, freezing point, protein content (P < 0,01) and pH value (P < 0,01). The stage of lactation had a significant effect (P < 0,001) on all analyzed parameters except on somatic cell count. The highest content of fat (6.53 %), proteins (5.44 %), dry matter (17.45 %) and dry matter non fat (10.98 %) were determined at the end of lactation, while the content of lactose (4.61 %) was the lowest. Significant coefficient of correlations (P<0,05) were also determined between daily milk yield and: the content of dry matter (-0,46), milk fat (-0,51), proteins (-0,39), lactose (0,51), dry matter non fat (-0,28), pH value (0,14). From the results, it can be concluded that the herd, stage and number of lactation have significant influence on the most analyzed parameters.
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