TITLE:
Characteristics of Lactation Curves of the Kenya Alpine Dairy Goats in Smallholder Farms
AUTHORS:
Andrew Gitahi Marete, Reuben Oyoo Mosi, Joshua Oluoch Amimo, Joseph Owino Jung’a
KEYWORDS:
Kenya Alpine Dairy Goat; Lactation Curve; Smallholder Farms
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Animal Sciences,
Vol.4 No.2,
April
15,
2014
ABSTRACT: Lactation curves are a graphical representation of the milk production profile of a doe from parturition to drying up. Their shape provides information about the productivity of the doe and offers a means of explaining features of the milk production patterns of each animal. A total of 2732 daily morning milk records from 610 does of the Kenyan Alpine dairy goats’ genetic groups (50% Alpine, 75% Alpine, 87.5% Alpine and > 87.5% Alpine) and local goats (0% Alpine) kept in small-holder farms were used to evaluate factors affecting milk yield and to examine the characteristics of their lactation curve. A nonlinear mixed model was used to fit the lactation curves to all does simultaneously. The Wood’s (1967) equation was fitted within each genetic group and parity to generate genetic group and parity lactation curves. The mean lactation period was 218 ± 46 days and the model accounted for 88% of the total variation. Significant differences (P 87.5% Alpine genetic groups respectively. Genetic group did not significantly affect rate of increase to peak yield (P > 0.05) and rate of decline from peak (P > 0.05) or persistency (P > 0.05). Parity significantly affected rate of increase to peak, rate of decrease from peak and persistency (P