Authors
Eduarda Arteche Berón da Fontoura, Melina Calegaro Tamiozzo, Leonardo de Melo Menezes, Rafael Fernandes Leite, Carla Joice Härter
Published in
Tropical animal health and production. Volume 58. Issue 6. Jul 10, 2026. Epub Jul 10, 2026.
Abstract
Crioula sheep are used in tough conditions in South America, especially in the Pampa Biome, and breeding them with dairy sheep may be a good strategy for producers to improve dairy products without losing the hardiness of the sheep. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the milk production characteristics of Lacaune, Crioula, and Lacaune × Crioula (F1) ewes. Thirty-seven ewes were used: 14 Lacaune, 14 Crioulas, and 9 F1 (crossbred) ewes from the same producer. All ewes grazed on Pampa native pastures with supplementation after milking. The milk production of the ewes was monitored weekly during the lactation period. On average, milk production during the entire lactation period was highest for Lacaune ewes (1076 g/day), followed by F1 (932 g/day) and Crioula (358 g/day) (P < 0.01). Milk from F1 ewes had intermediate concentrations of fat, protein, salts, and defatted dry extract compared to those found in the milk of Criola and Lacaune ewes (P < 0.01). Up to the 14th week of lactation, F1 ewes had milk yields similar to those of Lacaune ewes (P < 0.01). The milk yield and composition of F1 ewes in the Pampa region highlight their strong potential for commercial dairy production, particularly due to the higher total solids content, which may enhance cheese yield and processing efficiency, ultimately contributing to greater profitability for sheep milk production systems.
PMID:
42430010
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Jul 2026.
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