Effect of live weight pre- and post-lambing on milk production of East Friesian sheep

Figures & data

Table 1. Least square means of milk yield (MY) and live body weight (BW) in relation with month of lactation, number of lambing and type of lambing of East Friesian sheep.

	Month of lactation
Item	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	S.E.	p-value
Daily MY, L	1.04^a	0.81^b	0.56^c	0.47^d	0.36^e	0.026	.001
BW, kg	57.6^d	57.8^d	59.23^c	63.12^b	65.17^a	0.41	.001
	Number of lambing
	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth	S.E.	p-value
Total MY, L	86.88^b	97.87^b	123.77^a	123.91^a	127.02^a	9.67	.007
BW, kg	55.62^b	56.48^b	63.15^a	62.36^a	65.22^a	2.23	.001
	Litter size
	Single		Twins	Triple		S.E.	p-value
Total MY, L	103.59		110.74	137.23		0.08	.09
BW, kg	64.35		62.43	61.58		3.73	.15

^a,b,c,d,eLiterals different showed significant differences (p < .05).

Figure 1. Milk yield (dotted line) and body live weight (solid line) in pregnancy and lactation period of East Friesian sheep. The lactation month in both milk yield and live body weight had significant effect (p < .001).

Figure 2. Relationships between total milk yield (TMY) and body live weight (BW) at mating (a), mid-pregnancy (b), lambing (c), early lactation (d), mid-lactation (e) and ending lactation (f) of East Friesian sheep, n = 52.

Figure 3. Lactation curves (L/d) according with the number of lambing (a), type of lambing (b) and live body weight (BW) at mating (c) and lambing (d) of East Friesian sheep. Lactation curves fitted using the Pollott (2000) model; a, number of lambing; b, litter size; c, BW at mating; d, BW at lambing.

Table 2. Effect of live body weight of dairy sheep on milk production characteristics and parameters of Pollott model.

Item		Total milk yield (L)	Length lactation (days)	^1Maxima secretion (L)	^1Growth rate	^1Dead rate	^1Peak yield (L)	^1Time peak (days)
Mean(S.D.)		111.08 (31.47)	148.9 (8.6)	1.77 (0.90)	0.059 (0.065)	0.041 (0.023)	1.17 (0.39)	35.9 (9.31)
BW mating	Low	77.65^c	151.07^a	1.72	0.06	0.047	0.97^b	35.61
	Moderate	113.21^b	149.76^a	1.65	0.06	0.036	1.17^ab	36.92
	High	140.2^a	145.0^b	2.08	0.04	0.045	1.39^a	34.15
	s.e.	7.6	1.28	0.21	0.018	0.005	0.09	2.33
	p-value.	.001	.008	.36	.71	.33	.01	.68
BW mid-pregnancy	Low	78.64^c	150.7^a	1.57^b	0.061	0.046	0.96^b	33.44^a
	Moderate	111.80^b	149.8^a	1.69^b	0.059	0.038	1.15^b	37.97^ab
	High	144.45^a	142.6^b	2.37^a	0.060	0.048	1.52^a	29.62^b
	s.e.	7.5	1.36	0.24	0.018	0.006	0.11	2.5
	p-value	.001	.001	.04	.9	.46	.008	.04
BW lambing	Low	81.4^b	150.8	1.58	0.071	0.042	0.95^b	37.93
	Moderate	121.2^a	148.5	1.88	0.056	0.042	1.26^a	35.0
	High	143.5^a	143.3	1.53	0.037	0.027	1.35^a	30.33
	s.e.	8.3	1.73	0.3	0.019	0.007	0.12	3.1
	p-value	.001	.07	.51	.6	.5	.02	.40
BW early lactation	Low	82.2^b	150.7^a	1.66	0.074	0.045	0.98^b	37.5
	Moderate	115.3^a	149.8^ab	1.73	0.058	0.035	1.23^ab	35.9
	High	132.5^a	146.3^b	1.92	0.047	0.043	1.29^a	34.4
	s.e.	5.8	1.25	0.21	0.01	0.005	0.08	2.22
	p-value	.001	.04	.09	.5	.4	.04	.64
BW mid-lactation	Low	97.52^b	150,5^a	1.77	0.073	0.042	1.13^b	36.89^a
	Moderate	123.26^a	148.8^a	1.73	0.034	0.043	1.08^b	37.66^a
	High	137.44^a	143.0^b	1.87	0.058	0.033	1.50^a	29.00^b
	s.e.	7.32	1.32	0.24	0.016	0.014	0.09	3.45
	p-value	.006	.001	.94	.1	.6	.02	.05

^a,b,cLiterals different showed significant differences (p < .05).

¹ Values obtained using the Pollott (2000) function.

Pollott GE. 2000. A biological approach to lactation curve analysis for milk yield. J Dairy Sci. 83:2448–2458.

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