Jennet milk production during the lactation in a Sicilian farming system

Abstract

In Italy, the interest for jennet milk production has recently developed. An 18-month-long experiment was carried out on a jennet farm near Milo (CT), where 24 jennets, which derived from the Ragusana breed, were tested for milk yield and composition over an entire lactation period. The jennets were fed with hay and concentrate in a large paddock. From the 28th post-foaling day to the end of the lactation, the jennets were machine-milked twice a day with an in-between milking interval of 5 h. The milk amount from each jennet was recorded every 3 weeks and individual samples were collected and analyzed for fat, protein, casein, non-proteic nitrogen, lactose and somatic cell count. This study showed that jennets at Sicilian latitudes are not seasonal polyestrous. The daily milk yield, the length of lactation and the milk characteristics varied depending on the foaling season. The total average milk production was 490 6 36 kg in 295 6 12 post-foaling days, considering two milking records per day. During the lactation, milk yield decreased constantly from 1.98 to 1.28 kg/jennet per day. When looking at the jennet milk quality during lactation, the percentage of fat and protein decreased, while the lactose percentage increased, according to a tendency apparently unique for equines when compared to the ruminants. When looking at the productive season, spring generally gave the best qualitative and quantitative results. Based on these results, jennet milk yield and quality could be improved; furthermore, jennet milk production may turn out to be a profitable business.

Innovative Use of Jenny Milk from Sustainable Rearing

“…The groups showed a milk production trend similar to that observed in literature by other authors (Giosuè et al 2008;Santos and Silvestre 2008). Milk production, protein, ash, SCS and pH resulted highest in summer at 30 days; protein and pH resulted highest in summer also at 90 and 150 days, respectively (Table 1).…”

“…In spring group, protein content was high at the start of lactation, decreased to a minimum at 90 days and increased at the end of lactation, as observed by Guo et al (2007); instead, summer lactation showed two peaks at 30 and at 90 days. Protein content resulted lower than the values reported by other authors that studied the effects of seasons on jenny milk characteristics: 19.3 g/L in spring and 18.1 g/L in summer in Sicilian breeds (Giosuè et al 2008) and 16.5 g/L in spring and 14.3 g/ L in summer in Croat breed (Ivanković et al 2009). Fat content was significantly highest in summer group at the end of lactation.…”

“…However, little is known about qualitative and quantitative characteristics of jenny milk. Although the species is a seasonal polyestrous, in south of Italy, jennies foal every season, probably because of small photoperiod oscillations between different seasons, and, consequently, milk is available all year (Giosuè et al 2008). During lactation, this species has a low but constant daily production (Malacarne et al 2002;Polidori et al 2009a).…”

A survey on the milk chemical and microbiological quality in dairy donkey farms located in NorthWestern Italy

“…(Alabiso, Giosuè, Alicata, Mazza, & Iannolino, 2009;Giosuè, Alabiso, Russo, Alicata, & Torrisi, 2008). One very recent report was published on Amiata donkey milk chemical composition (Martini, Altomonte, & Salari, 2014).…”

Ivermectin residues in milk of lactating donkey (Equus asinus): current regulation and challenges for the future

“…In some areas of Italy, especially in Sicily, donkeys produce high quality milk employed to feed infants affected by Cow Milk Protein Allergy and/or by multiple hypersensitivity (Iacono et al 1992;Businco et al 2000;Carroccio et al 2000;Salimei et al 2003;Vincenzetti et al 2008). Consequently, there is increasing interest for investment and research in donkey milk (Giosuè et al 2008), owing mainly to its very similar chemical and nutritional composition to human breast milk (Polidori 1994;Salimei et al 2003).…”