Effect of management factors on reproductive and milk production performance of a dairy sheep breed adapted to low-input management systems

PDF
Published: Jan 29, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/jhvms.15565
Keywords:
dairy sheep low-input system semi-intensive management system reproduction udder health
N. TZANIDAKIS
Clinic of Farm Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter
N. VOUTZOURAKIS
Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter
A. STEFANAKIS
Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter
C. N. BROZOS
Clinic of Farm Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
S. SOTIRAKI
Veterinary Research Institute, Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter
E. A. KIOSSIS
Clinic of Farm Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Abstract

Interest on the implementation and improvisation of low-input dairy sheep farming is rising. Our study aimed to describe a) the milk productivity of the Sfakia sheep, a Mediterranean well-adapted to low-input management schemes breed (“low-input breed”), and b) the effect of management (MS) and milking system (MLS) on milk yield and quality. Monthly bulk milk samples (n=307) and reproductive data were collected from 10 extensive and 10 semi-intensive Sfakia sheep flocks in Crete Greece, over two consecutive lactations. All semi-intensive and four extensive farms were equipped with a milking parlour machine (MPM). A portable machine (PM) was used in three extensive farms; hand-milking (HM) was applied in the rest extensive farms. The effect of MS and MLS on daily milk yield/ewe (DMY), somatic cell count (SCC), total bacterial count (TBC), pH and % lactose content (LACT) of milk was explored with linear mixed-effects models. Mean DMY (p<0.001) as well as the seasonal variation pattern of SCC (p=0.020) and LACT (p=0.018) differed between MS. TBC was higher in extensive farms using MPM than HM (p=0.002); PM was related to lower SCC, compared to MPM (p=0.044) and HM (p=0.012). Concluding, mild interventions in management and milking practices could improve the productivity of “low-input” dairy sheep breeds.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Research Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

· Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Bakken G, Gudding R (1982) The interdependence between clinical and subclinical mastitis. Acta Agric Scand 32:17–22.
Bergonier D, de Crémoux R, Rupp R, Lagriffoul G, Berthelot X (2003) Mastitis of dairy small ruminants. Vet Res 34:689-716.
Berthelot X, Lagriffoul G, Concordet D, Barillet F, Bergonier D(2006) Physiological and pathological thresholds of somatic cell counts in ewe milk. Small Rumin Res 62:27-31.
Boyazoglu J, Morand-Fehr P (2001)Mediterranean dairy sheep and goat products and their quality. A critical review.Small Rumin Res40:1-11.
Carta A, Sanna SR, Casu S (1995) Estimating lactation curves and seasonal effects for milk, fat and protein in Sarda dairy sheep with a test day model. Livest Prod Sci 44:37–44.
Casoli C, Duranti E, Morbidini L, Panella F, Vizioli V (1989) Quantitative and compositional variations of massese sheep milk by parity and stage of lactation. Small Rumin Res 2:47–62.
De Rancourt M, Fois N, Lavín MP, Tchakérian E, Vallerand F (2006) Mediterranean sheep and goats production: An uncertain future. Small Rumin Res 62:167–179.
Fragkou IA, Boscos CM, Fthenakis GC (2014) Diagnosis of clinical or subclinical mastitis in ewes. Small Rumin Res 118:86–92.
Fthenakis GC, Arsenos G, Brozos C, Fragkou IA, Giadinis ND, Giannenas I, Mavrogianni VS, Papadopoulos E, Valasi I. (2012) Health management of ewes during pregnancy. Anim Reprod Sci 130:198–212.
Giorgi F, Lionello P (2008) Climate change projections for the Mediterranean region. Global Planet Change 63:90–104
Gonzalo C, Baro JA, Carriedo JA, Primitivo FS (1993) Use of the Fossomatic method to determine somatic cell counts in sheep milk. J Dairy Sci 76:115–9.
Gonzalo C, Carriedo JA, Baro JA, san Primitivo F (1994) Factors influencing variation of test day milk yield, somatic cell count, fat, and protein in dairy sheep. J Dairy Sci 77:1537–42.
Gootwine E (2011) Mini review: breeding Awassi and Assaf sheep for diverse management conditions. Trop Anim Health Pro 43:1289–96.
Kominakis A, Volanis M, Rogdakis E (2001) Genetic modelling of test day records in dairy sheep using orthogonal Legendre polynomials. Small Rumin Res 39:209–217.
Lorent H, Sonnenschein R, Tsiourlis GM, Hostert P, Lambin E (2009) Livestock Subsidies and Rangeland Degradation in Central Crete. Ecol Soc 14:41.
McKusick BC, Thomas DL, Berger YM (2001) Effect of weaning system on commercial milk production and lamb growth of East Friesian dairy sheep. J Dairy Sci 84:1660–1668.
Hellenic Statistical Authority (EL.STAT.) (2014) Internet Site: Available from URL:http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/PAGE-themes?p_param=A1008&r_param=SPK63&y_param=2014_00&mytabs=0
Rhind SM, Robinson JJ, Chesworth JM, Crofts RMJ (1980) Effects of season, lactation and plane of nutrition on prolactin concentrations in ovine plasma and the role of prolactin in the control of ewe fertility. J Reprod Fertil 58:145–152.
Sinapis E (2007) The effect of machine or hand milking on milk production, composition and SCC in mountainous Greek breed (Boutsiko) ewes. Small Rumin Res69:242–246.
Stefanakis A, Volanis M, Zoiopoulos P, Hadjigeorgiou I (2007) Assessing the potential benefits of technical intervention in evolving the semiintensive dairy-sheep farms in Crete. Small Rumin Res 72:66–72.
Vagnoni E, Franca A, Breedveld L, Porqueddu C, Ferrara R, Duce P (2015) Environmental performances of Sardinian dairy sheep production systems at different input levels. Sci Total Environ 502 :354–61.
Viñoles C, Meikle A, Martin GB (2009) Short-term nutritional treatments grazing legumes or feeding concentrates increase prolificacy in Corriedale ewes. Anim Reprod Sci 113:82–92.
Volanis M, Stefanakis A, Hadjigeorgiou I, Zoiopoulos P (2007) Supporting the extensive dairy sheep smallholders of the semi-arid region of Crete through technical intervention. Trop Anim Health Pro 39:325–334.
Most read articles by the same author(s)