Evaluation of Milk Production at Ţigaie Sheep Reared in Romania

Biological material subjected to research was represented by females belonging to Ţigaie breed which are in different lactations. Research has been expanded to six consecutive lactations, period in which the followed objectives were represented by: quantity of milk sucked by lambs during lactation, the quantity of milk produced in each lactation period when the flock is located in the milking situation exclusively and the total quantity of milk obtained in each controlled lactation. The work methods used are accepted by experimental practice. During the period of lactation was used the control coefficient method; exclusively for milking period was applied the AT4 method respecting the technical specifications specified by the International Committee for Animal Recording. Also, to eliminate the influence of environment, age, nourishment and maintenance conditions, in each season the period was the same (May-September) and had the same conditions of nourishment, maintenance, sheltering etc. Statistical processing of obtained data at the end of evaluation of milk quantity consumed by lambs show that in first 28 days of suckling, Ţigaie breed sheep furnish around 42% from the total milk quantity consumed by lambs during suckling period. Based on this observation we could say that application of selection at sheep on the basis of lambs’ corporal weight at age of 28 days is more indicated and efficient. In case of appreciation of milk quantity gathered by milking could be observed the fact that face to maximum level reached in first lactation the total estimated quantity was higher with 29.29% in second lactation and after that gradually decrease and record negative values in the last controlled lactation. Effectuation of a rate between milk quantity consumed by lambs and milk quantity obtained after their weaning show the existence of a close rate, with the exception of first lactation when sucked milk quantity was higher with 15.8% face to level of milk production gathered by milking. Statistical processing of information highlighting that between the amounts of milk consumed by lambs in the suckling period, there have been significant differences for P<0.01 and for P>0.05. During the six controlled lactations the maximum milk production was recorded in the second lactation and was of 139.67 kg of milk, superior with 29.29% than level obtained in the first lactation and with 5.29% lower to the total estimated production for the third lactation.