Evaluation of some factors affecting milk composition of indigenous goats in Nigeria

摘要

ThisstudywascarriedoutattheResearchFarmofAbubakarTafawaBalewaUniversity,Bauchi,Nigeria(October2003#8211;May2006)toevaluatesomefactors(breed,season,stageoflactationandparity)affectinggoatmilkcomposition.nbsp;Theresultsshowedthatpercentcrudeprotein,fat,lactoseandtotalsolidcontentsweresignificantly(P0.05)affectedbybreed;withpHandashcontentsdifferednon-significantlyinthethreebreeds.Thepercentagesofcrudeprotein,fatandlactosecontentsweresignificantly(P0.001)differentinthefourstagesoflactation(colostrum,early,midandlate),whilethedifferencesinthetotalsolid,pHandashcontentswerenotaffectedbythelactationstages.Therewereseasonal(P0.001)variationsinthepercentfatandlactosecontents;withcrudeprotein,totalsolid,pHandashcontentsbeingnotinfluencedbythetwoseasons(dryandwet).Similarly,fatandlactosecontentsshowedsignificant(P0.001)parityeffects;withthecrudeprotein,totalsolid,pHandashvaluesdifferednon-significantlyinthethreeparities(first,secondandthird).nbsp;Itisthereforeconcludedthatthegoatmilkcompositionstudiediscomparabletothelevelsobtainedinimprovedgoatsreportedelsewhere.Itisthereforesuggestedthatimprovementinthegoatmilkcompositionofthelocalbreedscanbemadethroughimprovedmanagementandcross-breedingwithhigher-yieldinglocalorexoticgoats.