Milk production of Hampshire Down and Ile de France ewes up to 84 days of lactation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2005v26n1p117Keywords:
Breeds, Lactation curve, Maternal ability, Sheep, Weight.Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the milk production of Hampshire Down and Ile de France ewes, six or eight teeth old, nursing male or female lambs, as well as to evaluate the effect of litter size on milk production of Hampshire Down ewes. This study was carried out at the Farm School of the State University of Londrina, Brazil, between June and December, 2001. The animals fed on a Coastcross (Cynodon dactilon (L) Pears) pasture, and received food supplementation daily, 2 kg of corn silage and 100 g of grounded corn, from June to September. Milk production was estimated, by hand milking the ewes with the aid of 3 IU of oxitocyn injection, at days 14, 28, 42, 56, 70 and 84 of lactation. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in milk production and in ewe weights between breeds, ages, and between Hampshire Down ewes nursing twins or singlets. But, ewes nursing male lambs had greater (P < 0.05) daily milk production than ewes nursing female lambs (1121,98 vs 886,27 ml). Milk production decreased from day 14 up to day 84 of lactation. It was concluded that the evaluated breeds had similar milk production, and that ewes nursing male lambs had greater milk production.
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