The effects of milking once or twice daily throughout lactation on milk production of Canarian dairy goats

A herd of goats of the Tenerife type of the Canary Island dairy breed was used during the 1(st) and 2(nd) lactation to evaluate the effects of two milking frequencies (x times daily). Goats were maintained in an intensive system with concentrated mating in two consecutive fall seasons. After delivery, the kids were separated from the mothers and reared by foster darns. Only the data from goats kidding both years (n=64) were used. The goats were blocked into two milking frequency groups: once daily (x1, n=35) or twice daily (x2, n=29), and machine milked according to the assigned milking frequency throughout the entire 1(st) and 2(nd) lactation. Milk yield recording and milk composition analysis (protein, fat, lactose and total solids) were performed every fifteen days. Total milk yields (x1 vs. x2, respectively) were: 281 vs. 299L, in the 1(st) lactation (150d), and 390 vs. 424L, in the 2(nd) lactation (180d). The goats which were x2 milked showed a higher milk yield than those x1 milked, the differences being non significant in the 1(st) (+6.4%) and 2(nd) lactation (+8.4%). These results are markedly lower than those referring to other breeds in previous works. Milk composition of Canarian goats was above the values of high-yielding dairy breeds and positively affected by milking frequency. The differences were significant in the percentages of milk fat (3.31 vs. 3.44%; 3.26 vs. 3.52%; (150d); 1(st) and 2(nd) lactation, respectively) and milk protein (3.42 vs. 3.49%; 3.39 vs. 3.49%; (150d); 1(st) and 2(nd) lactation; x1 vs. x2, respectively). In conclusion, the Canarian dairy goat showed a good adaptation to low milking frequencies with small negative effects on yield and composition of milk.