title: First description of milk flow traits in Tunisian dairy dromedary camels under an intensive farming system.
abstract: In order to evaluate milking ability in dromedary camels, 124 milk flow curves were registered during morning milking of 20 dairy Maghrebi dromedary camels. Animals were in lactations 1-8, were 6-19 years old and were 4-15 months of their current lactation. Milk flow curves were recorded using an electronic milk flow meter (Lactocorder®). Milk flow curves were classified in three typical patterns: type 1 represents curves with one high and short peak of milk flow; type 2 represents curves with a moderate mean milk flow rate during a large plateau phase; and type 3 represents curves with lower mean milk flow rate and a relatively longer milking duration. The ratio of the different milk flow patterns in the population evaluated was 40:38:22% for types 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The highest milk yield per milking, average and peak milk flow were observed in camels with type 1 curves (4·24 kg, 1·49 and 3·54 kg/min, respectively) followed by type 2 animals (3·30 kg, 1·12 and 2·12 kg/min, respectively) and lastly type 3 curves (2·34 kg, 0·65 and 1·23 kg/min, respectively). This study confirmed that a major proportion of dromedary camels have a suitable machine milking ability. Nevertheless, our results suggest that pre-stimulation and improving the milking process may improve milking efficiency and guarantee a more complete and rapid emptying of the udder.
authors.affiliation: Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, Arid Lands Institute, 4119 Médenine, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Moufida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atigui
authors.affiliation: Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, Arid Lands Institute, 4119 Médenine, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammadi
authors.affiliation: Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, Arid Lands Institute, 4119 Médenine, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barmat
authors.affiliation: Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, Arid Lands Institute, 4119 Médenine, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farhat
authors.affiliation: Livestock and Wildlife Laboratory, Arid Lands Institute, 4119 Médenine, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Touhami
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Khorchani
authors.affiliation: AGROCAMPUS OUEST, UMR1348 PEGASE, F-35042 Rennes, France.
authors.forename: Pierre-Guy
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Marnet
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002162:Camelus / Q000502:physiology*; D003612:Dairying / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007700:Kinetics; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008892:Milk / Q000502:physiology*; D008893:Milk Ejection / Q000502:physiology; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone