Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T11:30:48.291Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Machine milking of dairy goats during lactation: udder anatomy, milking characteristics, and blood concentrations of oxytocin and prolactin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2009

Rupert M. Bruckmaier ,
Chantal Ritter ,
Dieter Schams  and
Jürg W. Blum
Rupert M. Bruckmaier
Affiliation:
Institut für Tierzucht der Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Schweiz
Chantal Ritter
Affiliation:
Institut für Tierzucht der Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Schweiz
Dieter Schams
Affiliation:
Institut für Physiologie der Technischen Universität München, D-85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Deutschland
Jürg W. Blum
Affiliation:
Institut für Tierzucht der Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Schweiz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Forty-four goats were milked and milk flow recorded without or with 1 min manual prestimulation in early, mid and late lactation. Ultrasound measurements of cross sections of the whole mammary gland were performed in a water bath. In additional experiments with 15 goats, milk flow was recorded and frequent blood samples were taken for the determination of oxytocin and prolactin concentrations. Milk yield increased from the first to the third lactation and decreased markedly during the course of lactation. Average and peak milk flow rates were closely related to the actual milk yield. The ultrasound cisternal area was 27·4±1·5% of the entire udder half cross section. Milking characteristics were scarcely different without or with prestimulation, although oxytocin was released within 30 s after the start of prestimulation, whereas oxytocin concentrations without prestimulation increased only after the start of milking. Concentrations of prolactin were higher during July and August than in April, and increased similarly with or without prestimulation during milking. In contrast to dairy cows, prestimulation and an opportune release of oxytocin during milking does not significantly influence the course of milk flow in goats, and this is probably because large amounts of cisternal milk allow milk ejection to be induced only after the start of milking without causing bimodal or otherwise reduced milk flow.

Type
Original articles
Information
Journal of Dairy Research , Volume 61 , Issue 4 , November 1994 , pp. 457 - 466
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bruckmaier, R. M. 1988 [Oxytocin Release, Intramammary Pressure and Milk Production in the Cow in Relation to Stage of Lactation and Effect of the Adrenergic System.] Thesis, Technische Universität München, Weihenstephan, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Bruckmaier, R. M. & Blum, J. W. 1992 B-mode ultrasonography of mammary glands of cows, goats and sheep during α- and β-adrenergic agonist and oxytocin administration. Journal of Dairy Research 59 151–159CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruckmaier, R. M., Rothenanger, E. & Blum, J. W. 1994 Measurement of mammary gland cistern size and determination of the cisternal milk fraction in dairy cows. Milchwissenschaft In pressGoogle Scholar
Bruckmaier, R. M., Schams, D. & Blum, J. W. 1992 Aetiology of disturbed milk ejection in parturient primiparous cows. Journal of Dairy Research 59 479–489CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruckmaier, R. M., Schams, D. & Blum, J. W. 1993 Milk removal in familiar and unfamiliar surroundings: concentrations of oxytocin, prolactin, cortisol and β-endorphin. Journal of Dairy Research 60 449–456CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bryant, G. D., Greenwood, F. C. & Linzell, J. L. 1968 Plasma prolactin levels in the goat: physiological and experimental modification. Journal of Endocrinology 40 iv–vGoogle Scholar
Folley, S. J. & Knaggs, G. S. 1966 Milk-ejection activity (oxytocin) in the external jugular vein blood of the cow, goat and sow, in relation to the stimulus of milking or suckling. Journal of Endocrinology 34 197–214CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forsyth, I. A. & Lee, P. D. 1993 Bromocriptine treatment of periparturient goats: long-term suppression of prolactin and lack of effect on lactation. Journal of Dairy Research 60 307–317CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gorewit, R. C. & Gassman, K. B. 1985 Effects of duration of udder stimulation on milking dynamics and oxytocin release. Journal of Dairy Science 68 1813–1818CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hart, I. C. 1973 Effect of 2-bromo-α-ergocryptine on milk yield and the level of prolactin and growth hormone in the blood of the goat at milking. Journal of Endocrinology 57 179–180CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hart, I. C. 1975 Concentrations of prolactin in serial blood samples from goats before, during and after milking throughout lactation. Journal of Endocrinology 64 305–312CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knight, C. H., Foran, D. & Wilde, C. J. 1990 Interactions between autocrine and endocrine control of milk yield: thrice-daily milking of bromocriptine-treated goats. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 5 Abstr. no. 30Google Scholar
Lu, C. D., Potchoiba, M. J. & Loetz, E. R. 1991 Influence of vacuum level, pulsation ratio and rate on milking performance and udder health in dairy goats. Small Ruminant Research 5 1–8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNeilly, A. S. 1972 The blood levels of oxytocin during suckling and hand-milking in the goat with some observations on the pattern of hormone release. Journal of Endocrinology 52 177–188CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayer, H., Bruckmaier, R. M. & Schams, D. 1991 Lactational changes in oxytocin release, intramammary pressure and milking characteristics in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Research 58 159–169CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mayer, H., Schams, D., Worstorff, H. & Prokopp, A. 1984 Secretion of oxytocin and milk removal as affected by milking cows with and without manual stimulation. Journal of Endocrinology 103 355–361CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mosd⊘l, G., Sjaastad, O. V. & Blom, A. K. 1981 Plasma concentrations of oxytocin and intramammary pressure in goats during manual stimulation of the udder and hand-milking. Journal of Endocrinology 90 159–166CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peaker, M. & Blatchford, D. R. 1988 Distribution of milk in the goat mammary gland and its relation to the rates and control of milk secretion. Journal of Dairy Research 55 41–48CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sas 1993 SAS User's Guide: Statistics. Cary, NC: SAS InstituteGoogle Scholar
Schams, D. 1983 Oxytocin determination by radioimmunoassay. III. Improvement to subpieogram sensitivity and application to blood levels in cyclic cattle. Acta Endocrinologica 103 180–183Google ScholarPubMed
Schams, D., Mayer, H., Prokopp, A. & Worstorff, H. 1984 Oxytocin secretion during milking in dairy cows with regard to the variation and imposrtance of a threshold level for milk removal. Journal of Endocrinology 102 337–343CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schams, D., Reinhardt, V. & Karg, H. 1972 Effects of 2-Br-α-ergocriptine on plasma prolactin level during parturition and onset of lactation in cows. Experientia 28 697–699CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seckl, J. R. & Lightman, S. L. 1988 Potentiation of lactation-induced oxytocin secretion by intracerebro-ventricular oxytocin in the conscious goat. Journal of Endocrinology 116 273–277CrossRefGoogle Scholar