HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gabiña, D. Articles by De Heredia, I. B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Gabiña, D. Articles by De Heredia, I. B.

Average Milk Yields and Environmental Effects on Latxa Sheep

Departamento de AgricUltura y Pesca, Gobiemo Vasco Centro de lnvestigación y Mejora Agraria de Arkaute, Apartado 46, 01080 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

Average quantitative milk yield and environmental effects have been estimated in 214 flocks of the Latxa breed of sheep under milk recording during 1988, 1989, and 1990. For this study, 57,725 lactations of the Black-Faced Latxa strain and 9564 of the Blond-Faced Latxa strain were used. Average yield per lactation (from d 31 after lambing to the end of lactation) was 93.9 L for Black-Faced Latxa and 93.2 L for Blond-Faced Latxa with lactation lengths of 114.3 and 126.7 d, respectively.

Yields by age of ewes at lambing follows a quadratic curve; minimum yields occur at 1 yr of age, and maximum yields occur between 4 and 7 yr of age. Persistency between the first 2 test days decreases with age in Black-Faced Latxa. Within age at lambing, increase in the total number of lambings by ewes affects yield favorably. Lactations after early lambing (November and December) yield most. Yield estimated per lactation, as well as milk yielded at the first 2 test days, increases as the number of live lambs at lambing increases.

The more relevant correlations between yield variables are those between the milk yield on a specific test day and the persistency between that test day and next. These correlations are always negative (between –.31 and –.37).

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. E. Pollott and E. Gootwine Reproductive Performance and Milk Production of Assaf Sheep in an Intensive Management System J Dairy Sci, November 1, 2004; 87(11): 3690 - 3703. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. H. Othmane, L. F. De La Fuente, J. A. Carriedo, and F. San Primitivo Heritability and Genetic Correlations of Test Day Milk Yield and Composition, Individual Laboratory Cheese Yield, and Somatic Cell Count for Dairy Ewes J Dairy Sci, October 1, 2002; 85(10): 2692 - 2698. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]