Abstract
Simple SummaryThe substitution of soybean meal in farm animal diets is considered vital for the economic and environmental sustainability of the livestock sector. However, data regarding the effects of a soybean meal replacement on the milk yield and quality traits in dairy sheep are scarce. In our study, two isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were used, with soybean meal of a typical ration being replaced by a mixture of rapeseed meal, cottonseed cake, and fava beans. The milk yield and the body condition scores were recorded, and milk samples were analyzed monthly for their fat, protein, lactose, and total solids yields, as well as for somatic cell counts, total bacterial counts, pH, electrical conductivity, and the refractive index. Daily and 100-day fat yields were significantly increased in the group fed the experimental ration and the electrical conductivity was significantly decreased in the same group, while no adverse effects on any of the rest of the studied milk production traits were observed.The replacement of soybean meal (SBM) from intensively reared dairy sheep diets has emerged as a significant challenge for sustainable production. However, the effects of this replacement on milk production have not been sufficiently elucidated. The objective of this study was to prospectively assess the effects of replacing SBM with a mixture of alternative protein sources on the milk yield (MY) and the milk quality traits (MQT) in intensively reared dairy sheep. A total of 112 multiparous, purebred milking ewes of the Chios and Frizarta breeds, from two intensive dairy sheep farms, were involved in the study, postweaning, and were assigned to either the control (CR) or the experimental ration (ER) group. In the ER, 3/4 of the SBM was replaced by a mixture of rapeseed meal, cottonseed cake, and fava beans, producing a ration of a similar nutritional value. MY, MQT, and body condition scores were recorded for each individual ewe monthly for a period of 4 months during lactation. The experimental ration was associated with beneficial effects on daily and 100-day fat yields and on the electrical conductivity of milk as an improved udder health status indicator, with no adverse effects on any of the rest of the studied milk production traits.
Highlights
The demand for sheep milk and products thereof has increased over the years due to their perceived high nutritional value and the consumer demands to produce niche and premium-quality dairy products [1]
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the effects of soybean meal (SBM) substitution with a mixture of rapeseed meal, cottonseed cake, and fava beans on milk performance in dairy sheep have been prospectively studied; no significant effects were observed on milk yield (MY) and milk quality traits (MQT), with the exception of a favorable effect on the milk fat yield observed in the experimental ration
The components selected in the experimental ration, namely, rapeseed meal, cottonseed cake, and fava beans, are among the most commonly used alternative protein sources for the substitution of SBM in small ruminant diets in Greece, as the crops they derive from are popular in different regions around the country
Summary
The demand for sheep milk and products thereof (e.g., cheese, yoghurt, and butter) has increased over the years due to their perceived high nutritional value and the consumer demands to produce niche and premium-quality dairy products [1]. This demand-driven evolution of the sheep milk processing sector has dragged the tendency towards the intensification of production and the modernization of husbandry systems, mainly in the developed world, as exemplified by European countries in the Mediterranean basin (i.e., Greece, Italy, France, and Spain). Soybean meal (SBM) currently constitutes the most widely used protein-rich feedstuff in the livestock sector for meat and milk production It is the co-product of soybean oil extraction and represents approximately 70% of the consumed oilseed meals globally [4]. Soybean is the most widely used genetically modified crop, opposing the consumer awareness of genetically modified organisms [8]
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