MILK YIELDS OBTAINED FROM WHITE LAMPOON CATTLE WITH AND WITHOUT SUCKLING STIMULATION BEFORE MILKING

Abstract

Fourteen native cows of the White Lampoon Cattle were used to conduct a milking experiment to identify effect of suckling stimulation on amount of milk obtained. One month after calving the cows were subjected to once a day morning milking lasting a whole week without their calves. During the next two weeks they were milked with their calves, suckling about one minute, before start of the routine milking in alternation with none-suckling, day after day. The amounts of milk obtained per week from both methods were compared. An average amount of 3656 ml week were obtained from suckling stimulated milking which differed significantly (p<.01) from that of 1755 ml/week without the suckling stimulation. There after the cows experienced stimulation before each daily milking. The average amount of 3444 ml/week milk for this period was recorded which, again, differed significantly (p<.05) from that of the previous none-suckling stimulated 1755 mi/week. It can be concluded that suckling stimulation to the White Lampoon cows leads to ease of milking and a higher amount of milk per milking per animal.