Biochemical composition of sheep milk of different breeds during the summer lactation period

Abstract

The article presents the results of the study of biochemical composition of sheep milk in the summer lactation period for 4 sheep breeds. According to research results, 18 amino acids were found in sheep milk. During the summer lactation period, the amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, both the Ordabasy breed and the South Kazakh merino exhibit higher levels (ranging from 6349 to 6989) compared to the Kazakh fine-fleeced and meat Merino breeds (ranging from 5835 to 5500). When analyzing sheep milk, a tendency towards a higher content of vitamin A (59.91 μg/100 g) and B6 (73.0 μg/100 g) was noted. The highest calcium content was found in the milk of the Kazakh fine-fleeced sheep, while the lowest was observed in the South Kazakh merino breed. Better milk productivity, along with increased fat and protein content, has been noted in sheep of the Ordabasy and South Kazakh merino breeds.