A multi-approach study of the performance of dairy donkey during lactation: preliminary results

Figures & data

Table 1. Average milk yield and quality during the three phases of lactation.

	Lactation
	1st month	6th month	10th month	SEM	p-value
Morning milking, mL	771.11^a	585.66^b	303.02^c	200.59	.0001
Fat, %	0.67	0.80	0.49	0.46	.7790
Protein, %	1.88^a	1.75^b	1.66^b	0.22	.0040
Casein, %	0.95^a	0.71^b	0.79^b	0.16	.0020
Lactose, %	6.81	6.90	6.83	0.15	.1540
Urea, mg/mL	26.06^b	39.21^a	39.33^a	8.04	.0001
Dry Matter, %	10.59^a	10.52^a	9.73^b	1.00	.0090
Ash, %	0.41^a	0.35^b	0.31^c	0.05	.0001
pH	6.97^b	6.92^b	7.20^a	0.10	.0030
Titratable acidity, g/L of lactic acid	0.13^a	0.12^a	0.10^b	0.01	.0003
Log10 SCC	0.75^a	0.55^b	0.89^a	0.26	.0070

SCC: somatic cell count.

^a,b,cValues within a row with different superscripts differ significantly at p < .01.

Table 2. Donkey haematological parameters during the three phases of lactation.

	Lactation
	1st month	6th month	10th month	SEM	p-value
MCH, pg	19.360^b	20.220^a	19.050^b	1.202	.009
MCHC, g/dL	32.040^a,b	36.100^a	31.240^b	1.499	.008
PLT, number x 10^9/L	227.140^a,b	281.160^a	186.700^b	92.568	.009
HCT, %	46.220	49.170	48.190	14.871	.838
MCV, fl	60.660	61.600	61.250	3.287	.695
hgb, g/dL	14.830	17.750	15.180	5.297	.866
RBC, number x 10^12/L	7.670	7.980	7.940	2.422	.921
WBC, number x 10^9/L	12.770	13.920	11.460	4.218	.208

MCH: mean corpuscular haemoglobin; MCHC: mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration; PLT: platelet count; HCT: haematocrit; MCV: mean corpuscular volume; hgb: haemoglobin concentration; RBC: erythrocyte count; WBC: leukocyte count.

^a,bValues within a row with different superscripts differ significantly at p < .01.