REVUE DE MEDECINE VETERINAIRE, cilt.158, sa.6, ss.320-325, 2007 (SCI-Expanded)
Milk yield of ewes crossbred between Kivircik and Akkaraman (KAB(1)) and crossbred between Chios and Akkararnan breeds (CAB(1)) was evaluated during the whole lactation period. Two methods were compared: the weigh-suckle-weigh (WSW) and oxytocin plus hand milking (O plus HM) methods and the correlations between milk yield and growth of lambs were estimated. A total of 44 ewes and 52 lambs (36 single, 16 twins) were used. Measurements of milk yield for 6 hours were determined at 14-day intervals using the two methods (WSW and O plus HM). Overall mean milk yield estimates determined using O plus HM were significantly higher than those evaluated from the WSW method. CAB(1) ewes produced significantly more milk than the KAB(1) ewes. The milk yield differences between ewes suckling single and twin lambs were highly significant. The results showed that milk yield estimated by method of hand milking after oxytocin injection is higher than method of weigh-suckle-weigh during the entire lactation period, and that milk production of CAB(1) ewes is higher than that of KAB(1) ewes. The results also indicated that lamb live weight and milk production are highly correlated during early and middle lactation and these correlation coefficients decline as lactation progresses.