Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T06:59:06.933Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of extended milking intervals (24, 48 and 72 h) on milk yield, milk composition, mammary physiology and welfare traits in dairy ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 August 2018

Evrydiki Armaou ,
Panagiotis Simitzis ,
Panagiota Koutsouli ,
Evagelia Zoidou ,
Theofilos Massouras ,
Michael Goliomytis ,
Iosif Bizelis  and
Ioannis Politis
Evrydiki Armaou
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Aquaculture, Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Panagiotis Simitzis*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Aquaculture, Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Panagiota Koutsouli
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Aquaculture, Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Evagelia Zoidou
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science and Human nutrition, Laboratory of Dairy Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Theofilos Massouras
Affiliation:
Department of Food Science and Human nutrition, Laboratory of Dairy Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Michael Goliomytis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Aquaculture, Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Iosif Bizelis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Aquaculture, Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
Ioannis Politis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Production and Aquaculture, Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece
*
*For correspondence; e-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The majority of the work today regarding the effects of extended milking intervals has focused on dairy cattle and only to a limited extent on dairy goats and sheep. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different non-milking intervals on milk yield and composition, mammary physiology and welfare indices in dairy ewes. Thirty-six multiparous ewes in late lactation were allocated to one of four groups of nine and subjected to 24, 48 or 72 h of non-milking or normal milking interval (12 h) (group A, B, C and D, respectively). Data showed that there were no significant differences in milk yield among the experimental groups during the third day after re-milking. Furthermore, no significant differences in milk lactose, protein and fat concentration among the experimental groups were observed after 7, 14 and 21 d of re-milking, respectively. Non-milking for 72 h resulted in a temporary increase of sodium concentration, Na + /K + ratio and enzymatic activities of plasmin (PL), plasminogen (PG) and plasminogen activator (PA) in milk. However, these parameters had similar values among the experimental groups on day 5 after re-milking. The concentration of lactose in blood was also significantly increased as a result of the 72 h non-milking interval and returned to its initial levels the second day after re-milking. These data, taken together, suggest that early involution events that occurred as an effect of non-milking were fully reversible within a short period of time. Finally, no significant signs of welfare impairment were observed in ewes due to extended milking intervals. In conclusion, non-milking up to 72 h had no negative effects on milk yield and composition, mammary physiology and welfare parameters in dairy ewes.

Keywords

Eweextended milking intervalsmilk yield and compositionplasminogen–plasmin systemwelfare
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 85 , Issue 4 , November 2018 , pp. 416 - 422
Copyright
Copyright © Hannah Dairy Research Foundation 2018 

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

AOAC 1980 In Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 13th edition. (Ed. Horwitz, W). Washington, USA: AOAC 804–831Google Scholar
Ben Chedly, H, Lacasse, P, Marnet, PG, Wiart-Letort, S, Finot, L & Boutinaud, M 2009 Cell junction disruption after 36 h milk accumulation was associated with changes in mammary secretory tissue activity and dynamics in lactating dairy goats. Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 60 105–111Google Scholar
Castillo, V, Such, X, Caja, G, Casals, R, Albanell, E & Salama, AAK 2008a Effect of milking interval on milk secretion and mammary tight junction permeability in dairy ewes. Journal of Dairy Science 91 2610–2619Google Scholar
Castillo, V, Such, X, Caja, G, Salama, AAK, Albanell, E & Casals, R 2008b Changes in alveolar and cisternal compartments induced by milking interval in the udder of dairy ewes. Journal of Dairy Science 91 3403–3411Google Scholar
Chapinal, N, Zobel, G, Painter, K & Leslie, KE 2014 Changes in lying behavior after abrupt cessation of milking and regrouping at dry-off in freestall-housed cows: a case study. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 9 364–369Google Scholar
Dalley, DE & Davis, SR 2006 Effect of an extended milking interval on recovery of milk yield and somatic cell count in dairy cows. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 66 241–244Google Scholar
Farr, VC, Stelwagen, K & Davis, SR 1998 Rates of recovery of milk yield and composition following milking intervals of varying length. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 58 47–48Google Scholar
Fleet, IR & Peaker, M 1978 Mammary function and its control at the cessation of lactation in the goat. The Journal of Physiology 279 491–507Google Scholar
Gilmore, J, White, JH, Zavizion, B & Politis, I 1995 Effect of stage of lactation and somatic cell count on plasminogen activator activity in bovine milk. Journal of Dairy Research 62 141–145Google Scholar
Gleeson, DE, O'Brien, B, Boyle, L & Earley, B 2007 Effect of milking frequency and nutritional level on aspects of the health and welfare of dairy cows. Animal 1 125–132Google Scholar
Hervas, G, Ramella, JL, Lopez, S, Gonzalez, JS & Mantecon, AR 2006 Effect of omitting one or two milkings weekly on lactational performance in dairy ewes. Journal of Dairy Research 73 207–215Google Scholar
IDF 2007 Milk and Milk Products – Determination of Calcium, Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium Content-Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Method. IDF Standard 119:2007. BrusselsGoogle Scholar
Koutsouli, P, Simitzis, P, Theodorou, G, Massouras, Th, Bizelis, I & Politis, I 2017 The effect of milking frequency reduction from twice to once daily on mammary physiology and animal welfare of two dairy Greek sheep breeds. Small Ruminant Research 147 18–24Google Scholar
O'Brien, B, Ryan, G, Meaney, WJ, McDonagh, D & Kelly, A 2002 Effect of frequency of milking on yield, composition and processing quality of milk. Journal of Dairy Research 69 367–374Google Scholar
O'Driscoll, K, Gleeson, DE, O'Brien, B & Boyle, L 2011 Does omission of a regular milking event affect cow comfort? Livestock Science 138 132–143Google Scholar
Politis, I, Lachance, E, Block, E & Turner, JD 1989a Plasmin and plasminogen in bovine milk: a relationship with involution. Journal of Dairy Science 72 900–906Google Scholar
Politis, I, Ng Kwai Hang, KF & Giroux, RN 1989b Environmental factors affecting plasmin activity in milk. Journal of Dairy Science 72 1713–1718Google Scholar
Rémond, B & Pomiès, D 2007 Once-daily milking of Holstein cows for one-week decreases milk yield by twenty-five percent without any carry-over effect. Livestock Science 110 192–195Google Scholar
Rushen, J, de Passille, AMB & Munksgaard, L 1999 Fear of people by cows and effects on milk yield, behavior and heart rate at milking. Journal of Dairy Science 82 720–727Google Scholar
Salama, AAK, Such, X, Caja, G, Rovai, M, Casals, R, Albanell, E, Marín, MP & Martí, A 2003 Effects of once versus twice daily milking throughout lactation on milk yield and milk composition in dairy goats. Journal of Dairy Science 86 1673–1680Google Scholar
SAS/STAT 2011 Statistical Analysis Systems User's Guide, Version 9·1·3. SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC, USAGoogle Scholar
Silanikove, N 2016 Transcellular route as the most probable explanation for the presence of plasminogen in mammal's milk. Journal of Theoretical Biology 395 221–226Google Scholar
Singh, K, Swanson, KM, Henderson, HV, Erdman, RA & Stelwagen, K 2015 The effect of milking re-initiation following extended non-milking periods on lactation in primiparous dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 98 7666–7674Google Scholar
Stelwagen, K, Davis, SR, Farr, VC, Eichler, SJ & Politis, I 1994a Effect of once daily milking and concurrent somatotropin on mammary tight junction permeability and yield of cows. Journal of Dairy Science 77 2994–3001Google Scholar
Stelwagen, K, Davis, SR, Farr, VC, Prosser, CG & Sherlock, RA 1994b Mammary epithelial cell tight junction integrity and mammary blood flow during an extended milking interval in goats. Journal of Dairy Science 77 426–432Google Scholar
Stelwagen, K, Farr, VC, Nicholas, GD, Davis, SR & Prosser, CG 2008 Effect of milking interval on milk yield and quality and rate of recovery during subsequent frequent milking. Livestock Science 114 176–180Google Scholar
Tucker, CB, Lacy-Hulbert, SJ & Webster, JR 2009 Effect of milking frequency and feeding level before and after dry off on dairy cattle behavior and udder characteristics. Journal of Dairy Science 92 3194–3203Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Armaou et al. supplementary material

Armaou et al. supplementary material 1

Download Armaou et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 350 KB