Milk yield and mammary function in goats during and after once-daily milking.
Starting in week 5 of lactation, goats were milked unilaterally once daily for 4 1/2 weeks, then twice daily for 12 weeks and finally thrice daily for 2 weeks. The control gland was milked twice daily throughout. During less frequent milking, yield fell by 26%. There was a rapid and essentially complete recovery of milk yield on resumption of twice-daily milking, and five of the six goats subsequently responded to thrice-daily milking with a small increase in milk yield. Mammary function was assessed during each phase by determining enzyme activities and in vitro synthesis rates of lactose and casein in mammary biopsies. There was a trend towards reduced differentiation of secretory cells during infrequent milking, with very little recovery during twice-daily milking but complete recovery during thrice-daily milking. The differentiative state of the control gland remained unchanged throughout.
Wilde
C J
CJ
Hannah Research Institute, Ayr, UK.
Knight
C H
CH
D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats / Q000502:physiology*; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D007785:Lactose / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
D002364:Caseins; D008894:Milk Proteins; D004247:DNA; D007785:Lactose