Milk production, reproductive and growth performances of Damascus goats under northern Cyprus conditions

This experiment was carried out at the Ercan State Farm in northern Cyprus, near Nicosia. This research was focused on the evaluation of milk production, reproduction and growth performances of Damascus goats with the aim of examining methods to improve the milking ability of does nursing kids. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the Damascus goat for milk yield, reproduction and growth performance in the region. According to the data observed, birth rates (based on the number of does bred) for 2001 and 2002 were 70.2 and 80.5%, litter size (based on the number of kids born to the number of does giving birth) for 2001 and 2002 were 1.62 and 1.56, kidding percentage (based on the number of kids born per 100 does brought to the buck) were 114.3 and 125.9%, respectively. Average daily milk yield, lactation milk yield and lactation length of Damascus does were 1.900 +/- 0.042, 489.4 +/- 12.784 kg and 254.7 +/- 2.359 days, respectively. Average 73.4 +/- 3.5 kg extra marketable milk was obtained by using our recommended system (30 days suckling + 30 days milking and residual suckling). By this way, milk yield increased 39% in the first 90 days (259.0 kg) and it means 16% on the whole lactation period. Average daily weight gain of kids was determined as 174.1 +/- 4.4 g for our recommended system (30 days suckling + 30 days milking and residual suckling). (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.