The effect of lactating dairy ewes’ diet supplementation with ALIMET (liquid methionine)on milk yield and milk composition

Abstract

The objective of this work was to study the effect of the supplementation of dairy ewes’ diet with liquid methionine (ALIMET) on milk yield and milk composition, from late pregnancy to mid lactation period. Sixty 3-4 year old Boutsiko breed lactating dairy ewes with an average initial body weight 48±1.7 kg and good body condition (3.6), were divided into three groups (treatments), balanced according to milk yield. Ewes were fed 0.8 kg alfalfa hay and 0.8 kg of concentrate daily. Ewes in Group A were fed a usual concentrate for lactating ewes (control), in Group B the control concentrate +1 g ALIMET /kg concentrate, and in Group C the control concentrate +3 g ALIMET /kg concentrate. Ewes were milked twice daily, and milk weights (yield) were recorded every 4 weeks, while milk samples were taken, on a percent basis (10%), for compositional analysis. The results showed that the inclusion of ALIMET significantly increased (p<0.05) milk yield (by 6.8% in Group B and 12% in Group C), compared to control, FCM (6% fat) yield (by 5.5% in Group B and 13.6% in Group C), and milk fat, protein and non fat solids. The growth rate of lambs was 7% and 8% higher, for the suckling period of 42 days, for the Groups B and C, respectively, compared to control, but those differences were not significant. The average daily body weight change of ewes during the experimental lactation period was +0.6, +1.0 and 0.2 kg for Groups A, B and C, respectively. Thus, supplementing the ewes’ diet with ALIMET, at a level of 3 g /kg concentrate, had a positive effect on milk yield and milk composition.