STUDY ON MILK STIMULATION INTERVAL IN CAMEL USING THE NOMADIC TRADITIONAL METHOD

Abstract

16 she-camels were chosen from a large herd of camel belonging to the Lahween tribe in Eastern Sudan. The breed is known locally as (Arabi-Lahwee). This study was thus initiated to identify the actual time needed to stimulate the milk let-down reflex by introduction of the calf and to investigate on the effect of parity orders, dams body weight and time of milking on milk stimulation interval. Neither parity order, body weight groups nor day hours (morning and evening) not showed any sig. impact on milk stimulation interval (MSI). For the 3rd, 4th and 5th parity orders MSI was 116.4+21.5, 127.0+42.8 and 109.8+7.7 seconds, respectively (means 116.3+12.7 seconds). Body weight groups scored 113.8+18.2 and 118.9+18.9 seconds for <500 and >500 kg, respectively, and at morning and evening time reported 68.1+5.4 and 70.9+73 seconds, respectively as MSI. Milk yield (MY) (912+119.6 ml), milking duration (MD) (78.2+4.2 sec.), udder measurements including size, depth, circumference, teat length and diameter showed negative and non-sig. correlation with MSI. While body weight (517.9+19.3 kg) was positively and sig. (P < 0.05) correlated and milk flow rate (11.7+1.3 ml/sec) reported positive and non-sig. correlation with MSI. Sig. (P<0.01) variations in the measurements of the udder depth, circumference, size, teat length and teat diameter before and after milking were observed.