Dry-off treatment of Assaf sheep: Efficacy as a management tool for improving milk quantity and quality
2008
Shwimmer, A. | Kenigswald, G. | Straten, M van | Lavi, Y. | Merin, U. | Weisblit, L. | Leitner, G.
Dry-off treatment of Assaf sheep by means of cow dry therapy tubes was tested. The sheep were treated 60 days before parturition by injection of a whole tube of cow dry treatment into each udder half. The sheep were tested for bacterial status before and after the treatment, to assess the success of the dry-off treatment, and were tested again at the end of colostrum milking to detect inhibiting substances in the milk. The treatment proved to be successful: bacterial infection decreased from about 60 to about 20%, and the somatic cell count in the bulk tank milk fell from about 2500 x 10³ to less than 1000 x 10³ cells mL-1. Concomitantly, the average milk production per ewe increased from 395 to 487 L year-1.
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