Relationship of FAMACHA© degree, body score and age on daily milk production of Saanen goats in Buenos Aires province

The objective of the present study was to analyze the relationship of the FAMACHA© grade, body condition score (BCS) and age with the daily milk production of Saanen goats, from two dairy farms of Buenos Aires province. A total of 318 Saanen goats were evaluated in the second third of lactation. Daily milk volume (L) was measured during mechanical milking twice a day. Goats were categorized according to FAMACHA© in Acceptable (n=56, grades 1 and 2), Intermediate (n=178, grade 3) and Risky (n=84, grades 4 and 5); according to BCS in Skinny (n=158, ≤2.75 points), Good (n=153, 3 to 3.75 points) and Obese (n=7, ≥4 points); and according to age in Young (n=99, <2 years), Adult 1 (n=142, 3-4 years) and Adult 2 (n=77, ≥5 years). Daily milk production was higher in goats of the Acceptable and Intermediate, Good, and Adult 1 groups. The goats categorized Risky and Skinny (n=54; 1.353 L) produced significantly less milk than the rest of the population (n=264; 1.753 L), and those categorized Acceptable and Good produced 19.2 % more. Dairy production in Saanen goats may be optimized by sanitary and nutritional improvements based on routinary use of FAMACHA© and BCS evaluations.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Steffen, Kevin Denis, Arias, Rubén Omar, Gortari, Lihuel, Moré, Gastón
Format: Digital revista
Language:spa
Published: Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata 2022
Online Access:https://revistas.unlp.edu.ar/analecta/article/view/12718
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