Milk Yield of Sheep from the Copper-Red Shumen Strain

G. STAIKOVA
Agricultural Institute, BG-9700 Shumen, Bulgaria

Abstract

STAIKOVA, G., 2004. Milk yield of sheep from the Copper-Red Shumen strain. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 10: 125-129

The factors mating and lactation number did not strongly influence the quantity of milk and the average daily milk yield in the sheep from the Copper-Red Shumen strain (P<0.05 and P<0.01). The sire's related line did not influence the milk yield traits and the dam's line slightly influenced only the milk obtained and the average daily milk yield. Milk yield at Ist and VIIIth lactation was lowest, that shows that the sheep from the strain studied can be raised for milk including up to VIIth lactation. It was established that the variation of the traits included in the composition and properties of sheep milk was very low, except for the lactose content C=18.662 % and E=6.221%.

Key words: Copper-Red Shumen strain, degree of relationship, type of mating, lactation number, related line