Abstract
The aim of the study was a 6-year evaluation of milk production of indigenous Istrian and imported East Friesian sheep crosses which are the result of a crossbreeding program that started in late 1980s in the Mediterranean region of Croatia. The study is based on data from 2,656 lactation records for 6 consecutive years. Data on average milk yield, fat corrected milk yield, fat and protein corrected milk yield and milk composition is reported. Values for daily milk yield, fat corrected daily milk yield and fat and protein corrected daily milk yield were 0.86 kg/day, 0.88 kg/day and 0.99 kg/day, respectively. Average milk composition during 6-year period was: fat, 7.28%; protein, 5.59%; lactose, 4.46%; urea, 28.62 mg/dl and 644,000/ml somatic cell count. The established results indicate further improvement in milk yield as the result of the program set up to create a domestic Croatian dairy sheep that started in the late 1980s.
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Acknowledgements
The study was supported by the Ministry of Science, Education, and Sport of the Republic of Croatia, in the project ‘The influence of nutraceuticals on the health and performance of food animals’ No. 053-0532265-2244. We are also grateful to the Dairy sheep farm ‘Špin’ and farm manager Ms. Luana Kusce.
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Mašek, T., Mikulec, Ž., Valpotić, H., Mikulec, K. (2012). Milk production of crossbred Istrian × East Friesian dairy ewes in Mediterranean region of Croatia. In: Casasús, I., Rogošiç, J., Rosati, A., Štokoviç, I., Gabiña, D. (eds) Animal farming and environmental interactions in the Mediterranean region. EAAP – European Federation of Animal Sciences, vol 131. Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen. https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-741-7_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-741-7_28
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