Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-d8cs5 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-03T23:42:22.819Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mother-offspring relationships in Awassi sheep:IV. The effect of weaning at birth, or after 15 weeks, on lactational performance in the dairy ewe.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

M. Morag ,
A. Raz  and
E. Eyal
M. Morag
Affiliation:
Negev Institute for Arid Zone Research, Beer-Sheva, Israel
A. Raz
Affiliation:
Veterinary Services, Beer-Sheva, Israel
E. Eyal
Affiliation:
Volcani Institute of Agricultural Research, Rehovot, Israel
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Sixty-six Awassi ewes were divided into two equal groups. The sheep were milked twice daily from lambing for 22 weeks. In one group (weaned) the lambs were separated from their dams within 6 h of parturition. In the second group (suckling) the lambs sucked the residual milk after milking for 15 weeks, after which they were weaned. Milking yields, fat tests, lactational persistency and udder health were not affected by the early weaning. The suckling ewes had greater amounts of residual milk and consumed more concentrates. Further data are presented that suggest that there may be a critical period of attachment of at least 10 days following lambing, during which weaning may effect subsequent milk production. The practical implications of these results are discussed in terms of flock management and the intensification of breeding programmes.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 75 , Issue 1 , August 1970 , pp. 183 - 187
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Becker, D. (1968). Sheep breeding. Israel Sheep Breeders Association (Hebrew).Google Scholar
Edelman, Z. (1963). The effect of some factors on the persistency of lactation in Awassi sheep. M.Sc. Thesis, Hebrew University, Jerusalem (Hebrew).Google Scholar
Ewebank, R. (1962). An evaluation of the Californian Mastitis Test and the Negretti Field Test as indicators of subclinical bovine mastitis. Vet. Rec. 74, 1017–20.Google Scholar
Finci, M. (1957). The improvement of the Awassi breed of sheep in Israel. Bull. Res. Ooun. Israel 6B, 1–106.Google Scholar
Folman, Y. & Eyal, E. (1961). Mother-offspring relationships in Awassi sheep. Hanoked 48, 23–8 (Hebrew).Google Scholar
Folman, Y., Volcani, R. & Eyal, E. (1966). Motheroffspring relationships in Awassi sheep. I. The effect of different suckling regimes, and time of weaning on the lactation curve and milk yield in dairy flocks. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 67, 371–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goff, K. R. & Schmidt, G. H. (1967). Effect of eliminating machine stripping of dairy cows on milk production, residual milk and mastitis. J. Dairy Sci. 50, 1787–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hammond, J. (1932). Report on cattle breeding in Jamaica and Trinidad, Pub. no. 58. London: Empire Marketing Board.Google Scholar
Hammond, J. (1960). Farm animals, their breeding, growth and inheritance. 3rd edition, p. 296. London: Edward Arnold.Google Scholar
Morag, M. (1962). The effect of the presence of the lamb on the milk yield and lactation characteristics of the Awassi ewe. M.Sc. Thesis. Hebrew University, Jerusalem (Hebrew).Google Scholar
Morag, M. (1966). Models of milk secretion in the ewe and in the cow. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Reading.Google Scholar
Morag, M. & Griffin, T. K. (1968). Galactokinetic responses to oxytocin and other solutions in the cow. Ann. Biol. anim. Biochim. Biophys. 8, 235–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morag, M. & Raz, A. (1969). Development and advance of the dairy sheep enterprise. I. Its place in the farming system and suggestions for the increase of production. Hassadeh 49, 1256–8 (Hebrew).Google Scholar
Ricordeau, G. & Denamur, R. (1962). Production laitière des brebis Préalpes du sud pendant les phases d'allaitament, de sevrage et de traite. Ann. Zootechn. 11, 5–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schalm, O. W. & Mead, S. W. (1943). The effect of incomplete milking on chronic mastitis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae. J. Dairy Sci. 26, 823–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schalm, P. W. & Nooklander, D. O. (1957). Experiments and observations leading to development of the Californian Mastitis Test. J. Am. vet. med. Ass. 13, 199–204.Google Scholar
Schmidt-Haensdorf, F. & Schmidt, W. (1932) Die galaktogene Infektion und der Einfluss des Ausmelkens auf den Verlauf der Streptokokkenmastitis. II. Mitteilung: Maschienmilken. Arch. wiss. prakt. Tierheilk. 65, 535–46.Google Scholar
Ziv, G., Shaked, A. & Risenberg-Tirek, R. (1968). The effectiveness of the California Mastitis Test as a measure of somatic cell counts of ewe's milk. Refuah vet. 25, 179–84.Google Scholar