Factors influencing the production and quality of sheep's milk

Abstract

To maintain adequate dairy productivity in sheep, it is important to focus on establishing appropriate husbandry conditions. Currently, breeders are increasingly confronted with extreme weather fluctuations during the grazing season, which significantly impact pasture quality and the milk produced. Therefore, it is crucial to seek suitable breeding systems with breed representation tailored to various climatic and geographical conditions to exploit their productive potential fully. This study focuses on comparing the dairy productivity and milk quality of three sheep farms located in the vicinity of Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, which employ different farming systems and feature different breed compositions under changing climatic conditions with increased heat stress during the summer months. Farm 1 with a flock of 350 Tsigai ewes are raised during the pasture with the extensive farming system in a mountainous area (1200 m above sea level; ASL). Farm 2, located at an altitude of 500 m ASL, houses Lacaune ewes under a semi-intensive farming system, with 456 pcs. Farm 3, situated at the lowest altitude (400 m ASL) among the monitored farms, rears 470 pcs of combined and dairy sheep breeds using a semi-extensive farming system. The results indicate that Farm 2, employing a semi-intensive system, recorded the highest milk yield (246.7 kg/ewe); however, it also exhibited the most pronounced decline in the lactation curve, with lower average milk production and qualitative parameters (fat, not fat solids) for the Lacaune breed during the warm months (June - August) compared to Farms 1 and 3, which focus on raising combined breeds. In conclusion, the most suitable breeding method for the climatic and geographical conditions of the observed region appears to be a semi-extensive system with combined sheep breeds, as the variability in dairy productivity parameters during the hottest months with reduced pasture quality is not as marked as it is in specialized dairy breeds.