Hakan Erduran
Bahri Dağdaş International Agricultural Research Institute
Abstract
This study was carried out in Selçuklu district of Konya province in the Central Anatolian region of Turkey on three Hair (Kıl) goat herds. The aim was to determine the milk yields and composition traits of Hair goats under extensive conditions. Data were collected during the lactation period from 171 goats aged between two and seven years.
From a month after kidding, the goats were machine-milked monthly and the milk pro-duction was recorded. The milk yield traits of the Hair goats were calculated by using the Fleischmann method for investigating milking. Statistical analysis was made using the JMP 11 computer program.
Average lactation length, lactation milk yield and daily milk yield of Hair goats were 205.2 days, 93.3 kg and 0.451 kg, respectively. These parameters varied considerably, from 151.0 to 250.0 days for lactation length, 42.5 to 225.7 kg for lactation milk yield and 0.240 to 0.949 kg for daily milk yield. Average contents of the milk were 5.43 per-cent fat, 3.77 perper-cent protein, 5.55 perper-cent lactose, 10.16 perper-cent non-fat solids and 15.60 percent total solids.
Age and farm had significant effects on lactation length, lactation milk yield and daily average milk yield (P < 0.01) and on fat, protein, lactose, non-fat solid and total solid contents (P < 0.001).
160
The results of the study imply that the high variation in milk yields among Hair goats could be the result of genetic variation. Therefore, the milk yield characteristics of Hair goats might be increased by selection or cross-breeding.
Key words: Hair Goat, Lactation Period, Daily Average Milk Yield, Milk Composition
Introduction
Goat production is economically and socially important in Turkey. An estimated 500 000 farm households keep goats, and goat production contributes directly to the in-come of nearly 3 million people (Dellal and Dellal, 2005). Goat production provides an important livelihood and food source for families with low incomes living in or on the edges of forest regions.
The word Kıl means hair in Turkish. The indigenous Hair goat is the most common goat breed in Turkey. Of the total goat population estimated at 10.4 million, approximately 10.2 million are Hair goats (TURKSTAT, 2014). Hair goats are frequently referred to as kara keçi, meaning black goat or adi keçi, meaning common goat. These animals are located mainly in the mountainous regions of western Turkey and the Taurus and An-ti-Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey (in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions), but they are distributed throughout the country (Ertugrul, 1997; Güler, 2005; Yalçın, 1990).
Hair goats are well adapted to all the climate and rangeland conditions of Turkey. They have strong bodies and are resistant to infectious diseases and cold or hot weather, and they can be raised under difficult living and feeding conditions. They are able to utilize heath and scrubland, and climb well on rugged hilly land. They can be kept on pastures all year round. Generally, they can be raised on scrub, stubble and plants such as shrubs, at high altitudes, in forests or in the villages near forests, at almost no cost.
The Hair goats are generally kept as a dual-purpose breed for meat and milk produc-tion. Average milk yields range from 90 to 100 kg, and can reach 165–195 kg on good pastures and under good maintenance conditions; the lactation period may be seven to eight months. The breed generally has a medium-sized body, but wide differences in body size are seen across regions. The breed is called the black goat because of its hair colour, but grey, brown or blue-pied goats are also found (GDARP, 2011; Erduran et al., 2015; Erduran and Dağ, 2014; Atay et al., 2013; Sönmez, 1975; Şengonca, 1974;
Tuncel and Yener, 1983; Yarkin, 1965).
Producing 415 743 tonnes per annum, Turkey, ranks third in goat milk production among Mediterranean countries after France, and Spain (FAOSTAT, 2013). Goat milk accounts for 2.48 percent of the total milk production of Turkey (TURKSTAT, 2014). Most of this goat milk is processed into local dairy products and consumed regionally, generally by the farming household or in the neighbourhood, or mixed with sheep milk for the processing industry.
The aim of this study was to determine the milk yields of Hair goats kept under exten-sive conditions.
Materials and methods
For the study, data on 171 Hair goats aged between two and seven years were col-lected during the lactation period from three private farms in Selçuklu district of Konya province in the Central Anatolia Region. The goats were fed only on natural pasture, in-cluding scrubland, with no extra feed. Does and bucks were left together all year round.
The birth of kids started at the end of February and lasted through March. Kids were weaned at approximately three months of age. The herd was pastured on rangelands and in forests from early in the morning until noon, when the animals were left to rest
161 in the shade before returning to graze after the heat of the sun had subsided.
A month after kidding, does were machine-milked once a month and their production was measured until it dropped to below 100 g/day. The lactation period was defined as the time from kidding to drying. Lactation milk yields, daily milk yields and lactation periods were calculated by using the Fleischmann method for investigating milking (ICAR, 2009). Samples of milk were taken from each goat and analysed immediately by being passed through an ultrasonic milk analyser twice.
All data obtained were analysed using a General Linear Model procedure. Statistical analysis was performed with the JMP 11 computer program.
Results and discussion
The values found were lactation milk yield of 93.3 kg/doe, daily average milk yield of 0.451 kg/doe, and lactation length of 205.2 days (Table 1).
The effects of age and farm on these parameters in Hair goats were significant (P <
0.01). Lactation and daily milk yields increased with age up to four years and decreased thereafter.
Lactation milk yields, daily average milk yields and lactation lengths ranged from 43.2 to 225.7 kg, from 0.240 to 0.949 kg and from 151 to 250 days, respectively in goats aged up to four years (Table 2).
The mean lactation milk yield of Hair goats in this study was 93.3 kg. When this yield was compared with other yields reported in the literature, it was found to be lower than those of Erduran and Dağ (2014) (102.3 kg) Atay et al. (2013) (164.3 kg) and Şimşek and Bayraktar (2006) (146.2 kg); higher than those of Erduran and Yaman (2013a) (78.0 kg for first lactation), Sengonca, Taskin and Kosum (2003) (80.5 kg) and Ata (2007) (64.0 kg), and similar to those of Erduran and Yaman (2013b) (94.5 litres) and Eser (1998) (93.8 kg).
Mean lactation length of Hair goats in this study was 205.3 days, which is shorter than those found by Erduran and Yaman (2013a and 2013b) (227.4 and 225.3 days, respec-tively) and Atay et al. (2013) 229.6 days), but longer than those of Eser (1998) (167.0 days) and Ata (2007) (132.1 days).
The study found an average daily milk yield of 0.451 kg, which is less than those of Erduran and Dağ (2014) (0.498 kg) and Atay et al. (2013) (0.873 kg), higher than that of Erduran and Yaman (2013a) (0.341 kg), and similar to those of Erduran and Yaman (2013b) (0.419 litre) and Ata (2007) (0.450 litre).
Milk composition values showed differences among ages and farms. The expected mean values of milk composition in the lactation period were 5.43 percent fat, 3.77 percent protein, 5.55 percent lactose, 10.16 percent non-fat solids (NFS) and 15.60 percent total solids (TS) (Table 3).
The effects of age and farm on fat, protein, lactose, NFS and TS content were significant (P < 0.001) in this study. The composition of Hair goats’ milk varied significantly during lactation, with high values at ages two (protein, lactose) and seven (fat, NFS and TS) and low values at ages two (fat), four (protein, NFS and TS) and five (lactose).
Mean fat content was 5.43 percent in this study, which is higher than those of Ata (2007) (3.98 percent), Eser (1998) (4.57 percent), Erduran (2014) (4.76 percent) and Keskin et al. (2004) (4.3 percent), and similar to that of Gursoy (2005) (5.5 percent).
Mean protein content was 3.77 percent in this study, which is lower than that found by Gursoy (2005) (4.2 percent), higher than that of Keskin et al. (2004) (3.5 percent), and similar to those of Erduran (2014) and Eser (1998) (3.76 and 3.71 percent, respectively).
162
The highest total solid content was found at seven years of age. This may be because of the decrease in milk volume. The highest NFS, protein and lactose contents, and the lowest fat values were obtained at age two. This may be because of variations in rumen fermentation products.
As shown in Figure 1, Hair goats showed a lactation curve with a steady decrease in average daily milk yields after the peak. All milk content values decreased until the third month of lactation and then increased.
TABLE 1. LEAST SQUARES AND STANDARD ERRORS OF MILK PRODUCTION TRAITS OF HAIR GOATS IN CENTRAL ANATOLIA, TURKEY
Lactation milk
yield (kg) Daily average milk
yield (kg) Lactation length (days)
n Mean S Mean S Mean S
Overall mean 171 93.3 ± 2.66 0.451 ± 0.01 205.2 ± 1.76 Age (years)
2 21 74.5 ± 6.91 b 0.363 ± 0.03 b 202.3 ± 4.58 ab
3 28 99.0 ± 6.12 ab 0.469 ± 0.03 ab 209.2 ± 4.05 ab
4 33 104.8 ± 5.48 a 0.497 ± 0.02 a 210.4 ± 3.63 a
5 38 99.0 ± 5.18 ab 0.495 ± 0.02 a 197.1 ± 3.43 b
6 31 98.8 ± 5.89 ab 0.461 ± 0.03 ab 213.7 ± 3.90 ab
7 20 83.5 ± 7.43 ab 0.423 ± 0.03 ab 198.8 ± 4.92 ab
P 0.008 0.006 0.008
Farm
1 71 110.8 ± 3.79 a 0.537 ± 0.02 a 205.5 ± 2.51 a
2 68 74.6 ± 3.68 b 0.381 ± 0.02 b 195.0 ± 2.63 b
3 32 94.4 ± 5.87 a 0.435 ± 0.02 b 215.2 ± 3.89 a
P 0.000 0.000 0.000
ab Different superscripts in a column reflect significant differences (P < 0.01). Mean S = standard errors.
163 TABLE 2. MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM VALUES OF MILK PRODUCTION TRAITS OF
HAIR GOATS IN CENTRAL ANATOLIA, TURKEY Lactation milk yield
(kg) Daily average milk
yield (kg) Lactation length (days)
n Min Max Min Max Min Max
Overall mean 171 42.5 225.7 0.240 0.969 151 250
Age
2 21 42.5 123.2 0.248 0.560 171 222
3 28 42.8 181.3 0.240 0.837 173 250
4 33 51.4 217.6 0.278 0.949 161 247
5 38 43.2 225.7 0.257 0.937 151 241
6 31 45.8 199.8 0.262 0.869 173 243
7 20 55.4 168.9 0.263 0.798 151 241
Farm
1 71 52.8 206.4 0.286 0.949 151 250
2 68 42.5 191.4 0.240 0.936 168 216
3 32 55.4 225.7 0.263 0.937 151 241
TABLE 3. LEAST SQUARES AND STANDARD ERRORS OF MILK COMPOSITION TRAITS OF HAIR GOATS IN CENTRAL ANATOLIA, TURKEY
Fat NFS TS Protein Lactose
n Mean S Mean S Mean S Mean S Mean S
Overall mean 165 5.43 ± 0.05 10.16 ± 0.03 15.60 ± 0.05 3.77 ± 0.013 5.55 ± 0.02 Age
2 21 5.13 ±
0.13 b 10.43 ± 0.07
a 15.56 ±
0.13abc 3.89 ± 0.03
a 5.92 ±
0.05 a
3 27 5.37 ± 0.12
ab 10.23 ±
0.06abc 15.60 ±
0.12ab 3.77 ± 0.03
b 5.57 ±
0.04 bc
4 31 5.15 ±
0.11 b 9.92 ± 0.06
d 15.08 ± 0.11
c 3.74 ± 0.03
b 5.45 ±
0.04 cd
5 37 5.53 ± 0.10
ab 10.03 ± 0.05
cd 15.56 ± 0.10
b 3.75 ± 0.02
b 5.39 ±
0.04 d
6 30 5.66 ±
0.11 a 10.08 ±
0.06bcd 15.73 ± 0.11
ab 3.70 ± 0.03
b 5.54 ±
0.04 cd
7 19 5.75 ±
0.15 a 10.31 ± 0.07
ab 16.07 ± 0.15
a 3.77 ± 0.04
ab 5.73 ±
0.05 ab
P 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.000
Farm
1 68 5.20 ±
0.07 b 10.01 ± 0.04
a 15.21 ± 0.07
b 3.76 ± 0.02
b 5.42 ±
0.03 c
2 68 5.11 ±
0.08 b 10.31 ± 0.04
a 15.41 ± 0.08
b 3.83 ± 0.02
a 5.29 ±
0.03 b
3 29 5.98 ±
0.12 a 10.20 ± 0.06
b 16.18 ± 0.12
a 3.76 ± 0.03
ab 5.79 ±
0.04 a
P 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000
ab Different superscripts in a column reflect significant differences (P < 0.01). Mean S = standard errors.
164
FIGURE 1. CHANGES IN MILK YIELD AND MILK COMPOSITION OBTAINED FROM HAIR GOATS DURING LACTATION IN CENTRALANATOLIA,TURKEY
490
550
650
560
420
280 200 14,74
14,31
13,50 14,26
15,49 17,06
18,65
9,99 9,77 9,61 9,93 10,09
10,44 11,05
4,75 4,54 3,89 4,33 5,40
6,62 7,60
3,72 3,63 3,59 3,68 3,76 3,89 4,08
5,56 5,43 5,34 5,40 5,52
5,62 5,74
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Lactation months
DAMY (g) TS (%) NFS (%) Fat (%) Protein (%) Lactose (%)
Photo 1: Hair buck; Photo 2: Hair doe; Photo 3: Hair male herd; Photo 4: Hair female herd (Source:
Erduran H.)
Conclusions
Hair goats are a multipurpose breed, kept by farmers primarily to provide meat, milk and milk products. Any surpluses contribute to cash income from the sale of male yearlings and culled animals, acting as a form of insurance for resource-poor livestock producers in Turkey’s highlands (Gursoy, 2005).
Turkey is one of the top countries in the world that raises goat. However, the extensive system generally practised in the country results in insufficient quantities of goat prod-ucts because of low productivity.
In recent years, because of their nutritional value and economic importance, goat milk and its products have followed an increasing trend in developed and developing coun-tries. In Turkey, too, goat milk products are being developed, along with alternative
165 husbandry systems for goat management to increase the importance of goat milk
(Sen-turklu and Arslanbas, 2010).
The results of this study imply that the high variation of milk yields among Hair goats could be the result of genetic variation. The milk yield traits of Hair goats may, therefore, be increased by selection or cross-breeding.
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policy, Turkey. Project number: TAGEM/HAYSÜD/10/08/04/01.
The authors express gratitude to Bayram Yaman, technician at the Department of An-imal Production of Bahri Dağdaş International Agricultural Research Institute, for his contribution in this study.
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