Yield and Composition of Milk and Their Relationship with Preweaning Lamb Growth in Yankasa Ewes and their Crosses with Sires of Suffolk X Wenselydale Breed

Abstract

Milk production in Yankasa ewes and their crosses with sires of Suffolk/Wenselydale breed was measured at weekly intervals following oxytocin administration. The influence of age and breed of dam on yield and composition were investigated and the relationships between milk yield, milk composition and lamb weight gain were determined. Daily milk production in Yankasa and crossbred ewes averaged 348.1 and 505.7g respectively. The mean fat and protein content over the entire lactation were 5.86 and 5.07% for Yankasa and 6.19 and 4.96% for crossbreds, respectively. Crossbred ewes produced significantly bigher (P<0.01) milk than Yankasa at all stages of lactation. Age of tbe ewe had Significant effect (P < .05) on total milk yield but not on fat or protein content. The correlations between lamb weight gain and milk yield at various stages of lactation ranged from 0.51 to 0.66 and 0.62 to 0.71, respectively, for Yankasa and crossbred lambs. Sheep milking can make a significant contribution to rural dally production in Nigeria.

Keywords: Milk Yield, Milk Composition, Lamb Growth, Yanicasa, Suffolk X Wenselydale Crosses