Resumen

ZEPPENFELD, Carla Cristina et al. Production and composition of ovine milk during the first seven weeks of lactation. Zootecnia Trop. [online]. 2007, vol.25, n.2, pp.77-81. ISSN 0798-7269.

Aiming to evaluate the production and composition of ovine milk in relation to two feeding systems, during the first seven weeks of lactation, this project took place in the Department of Zootechny at the Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, RS, Brasil. Ten sheep were used and their respective daughters were randomly distributed, 24 hours after birth, in two treatments: ALIM1: sheep fed with sorghum silage and concentrate in the ratio voluminous: concentrate 80:20 as dry matter, and ALIM2: sheep fed with silage and concentrate in the ratio voluminous: concentrate 60:40 as dry matter. The production of milk from the sheep was evaluated during seven weeks, using the indirect double weighing method, in which samples of milk were collected to determine fat and lactose values. The ALIM2 sheep had a higher production of milk than ALIM1 sheep, showing productions of 1.50 and 1.36 kg/d, respectively. For fat percentage, the sheep fed with ALIM1 showed values of 3.11 and 2.56% for ALIM2, and for lactose the ALIM1 sheep showed higher values, which were 4.74 and 4.56%, respectively. The ALIM2 treatment demonstrated better results in milk production, in the considered period.

Palabras clave : fat; lactose; milk; sheep.