Traditional Milk Products Research Articles

Assessment of Water Buffalo Milk and Traditional Milk Products in a Sustainable Production System

Water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) conservation in Serbia is under an in situ program, but additional efforts are needed to ensure the development of this animal’s genetic resources biodiversity. This research aims to describe challenges and possible strategies for sustainable water buffalo milk production. In this study, the physicochemical characteristics of buffalo milk and buffalo dairy products (cheese, butter, and kajmak) were determined. Furthermore, amino and fatty acids composition and the related health lipid indices (atherogenic and thrombogenic) were assessed. The findings support the fact that buffalo milk is a reliable source of high-quality nutrients (dry matter: 16.10%, fat: 6.02%, protein: 4.61%). Leucine, lysine, and valine content were found to be high in buffalo milk and cheese. A substantial quantity of non-essential glutamic and aspartic amino acids was observed in milk, as well as glutamic acid and tyrosine in cheese. It was established that milk protein of buffalo cheese had a favorable proportion of essential and non-essential amino acids (61.76%/38.24%). The results revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in fatty acid profiles among the three dairy products for saturated short-chain, n-3, and n-6 fatty acids. Conversely, no significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed in monounsaturated fatty acids content. Kajmak showed the most favorable anti-atherogenic and anti-thrombogenic properties due to lower saturated and higher polyunsaturated fatty acid content. These results confirmed that buffalo milk could be successfully used in producing high-quality traditional dairy products with added value and beneficial characteristics from the aspect of a healthy diet. Furthermore, it could actively contribute to the promotion of sustainable production of buffaloes and strengthen the agricultural production of rural areas and their heritage.

An insight into the dairy chain of a Protected Designation of Origin cheese: The case study of Asiago cheese

The Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label of the European Union safeguards and guarantees top-quality traditional agri-food products that must be manufactured in a specific region according to traditional production methods. Production specifications of PDO cheeses are often focused on the cheese-making process and lack information on the dairy farming system that is upstream of the chain. This case study aimed to analyze and cluster the dairy farms that supply milk to the chain of Asiago, an internationally known PDO cheese of northeastern Italy. A large survey involving all of the cheese factories of the Asiago PDO chain was made in 2017. Each cheese factory submitted a questionnaire to its supplying dairy farmers concerning (1) farm facilities and herd management and (2) feeding program of lactating cows. Results from 517 farms were processed; there were 67 ± 27% (mean ± standard deviation) respondents per cheese factory. Four clusters of dairy farms were identified by hierarchical clustering analysis. Cluster 1 (8% of the surveyed farms) and cluster 2 (22%) are small in size and low in yield, representing the traditional milk production system; farms are mainly located on mountains or hills and have autochthonous dual-purpose breeds mostly housed in tiestall barns. By rearing cattle of endangered breeds and feeding cows primarily with forages produced on-farm together with the use of pasture, these clusters, and especially cluster 1, have shown to provide essential ecosystem services for landscape and biodiversity preservation in the alpine areas. Clusters 3 and 4 (34 and 36% of the surveyed farms, respectively) gather medium-scale farms mainly located in the lowland that operate according to modern management and housing systems and rear high-producing dairy cows. These cows are mainly fed total mixed rations based on corn silage, but the dietary forage:concentrate ratio is kept relatively high, as farmers are more interested in producing high-quality milk for cheese-making than pushing for yield. Regardless of the cluster allocation, a considerable cow longevity, which is a recognized "iceberg indicator" of cattle well-being, was highlighted. This study showed that different farming systems may lay behind a single PDO cheese. The knowledge of their characteristics is important to reinforce the PDO production specifications as well as to distinguish and protect niche products that come from specific groups of farms that provide essential ecosystem services.

An overview of mechanization in chhana production

Chhana , regarded as the Indian counter part of soft cottage cheese is a heat acid coagulated milk product that serves as the base for a variety of milk products such as rasogolla, sandesh, paneer, cham cham, chhana podo, chhana kheer, kheermohan etc. Process mechanization of chhana and chhana based sweets is of huge scope due to the growing momentum in consumer demand for Traditional Indian milk products. Strengthening the knowledge base available for the technology of production of chhana is required to upgrade the existing systems with process automation and control. The main objective of all new technological interventions and improved mechanization systems for chhana developed so far is on yielding chhana of defined moisture content, soft texture and uniform quality along with reducing the cost and production time. Development of an improved mechanized systems for the rapid and hygienic production of chhana at small scale level is an urgent need of the hour. Mechanizations in various stages of chhana production can be integrated to the continuous system of chhana production. This article highlights the technological interventions and mechanization in the manufacture of chhana. In addition, the effect of coagulants in the manufacture of chhana , nutritive value and textural attributes of chhana are also discussed.

One Health Approach in Traditional Milk Production as a Part of Steps towards SDGs

The production of milk and cheese assumes activities in the field of agricultural production, veterinary health, and the use of milk and dairy products has public health significance, and can be viewed through the "one health" concept. The aim of the paper is to underline public health and sustainability significance of interconnection among agriculture, veterinary and technology. Production of hard cheese with added value from milk produced in organic and self-sustaining systems research the risks, advantages and possibilities of traditional cheese production and focused on creating conditions for organic milk and hard cheese with added value production, with precisely defined conditions: isolating land plots, livestock farms and processing facilities from possible sources of pollution, water quality, harmonized development of plant and animal production and the capability of producers for organic agriculture with the obligation to constantly innovate knowledge. The new products ensure the employment and livelihood of people in the countryside, the economic prosperity of small family farms, link the activities in the field of veterinary health and agricultural production, contribute to the development of risk-management technology, healthy chooses and compatible with SDGs. 
 Keywords: One Health approach, Traditional Milk Production, sustainability, Healthy Choices, SDGs

Determinants of Raw Milk Supply and Value Addition Participation in Mecha Woreda, Amhara National Regional State, Western Ethiopia

Dairy sector has important role in supporting the national economy and livelihood of milk producers. Milk producers are one of key actors that play great role along the dairy value chain in the study area. Milk producers’ participation in milk and milk products marketing played roles in improving household welfare, and also means improved food security and reduced poverty. Though there are studies conducted on milk production, processing and utilization, there is insufficient information on determinants of milk producers’milk supply and milk value addition participation in Mecha woreda. Thus, this study was conducted in Mecha woreda with objectives of analyzing determinants of smallholder milk producers’ participation decisions and intensity in cow milk supply and value addition. Formal survey techniques were employed to collect data. The data were collected from 200 milk producers using systematic random sampling techniques. Bivariate probit model was employed for participation decisions while recursive bivariate tobit model was used to analyze determinants of participation intensities. The econometric model result revealed that age of household head, number of local cows owned, distance of dairy products market, household milk consumption, family size, dairy farm experience, milk yield size per day, and membership in dairy cooperatives were influential variables that affected milk supply participation decision significantly. The household land size, milk consumption, distance of dairy market, milk yield per day, cooperative membership and milk market experience affected milk supply participation intensity significantly. Value addition participation decision was influenced by land size, distance of market and value addition experience positively and significantly. Distance of dairy product market, dairy farm experience, and membership in dairy cooperatives influenced value addition participation intensity significantly. In this study, improving market access by increasing number of dairy cooperatives, road and infrastructures, upgrading traditional milk products, introducing labor saving technologies, and empowering cooperatives and producers are recommended to increase smallholders’ participation in dairy products marketing. Keywords: Bivariate Tobit-Probit, milk supply participation, value addition participation DOI: 10.7176/JMCR/65-01 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

Economic aspects of milk production and traditional dairy products on agricultural farms in the Republic of Serbia

Serbia has favorable natural conditions for the development of livestock production, especially the cow’s milk production. Average milk production is 1.5 billion liters per year and the dominant share is produced on small farms. Only 35.1% of the total amount of milk produced in Serbia is processed. The subject of this research are economic aspects of milk production and processing into skimmed cream and white cheese on family farms. For that purpose, the model for the production of traditional milk products on family farms was developed and analysed, by using the method of analytical calculation based on variable costs. The results have shown that the difference between the production price per liter of raw vs. processed milk was € 0.24, while between the selling price of raw and processed milk per liter was € 1. Farms with up to 15 dairy heads should consider milk processing, i.e. finalization of products.

Bacterial community dynamics in lait caillé, a traditional product of spontaneous fermentation from Senegal

Spontaneously fermented food products contain a complex, natural microbial community with potential probiotic activity. The addition of a health-promoting, probiotic bacterium to these products ensures the delivery of that probiotic activity to consumers. Here, we assess the microbial community of a traditional Senegalese milk product produced by spontaneous fermentation, called lait caillé. We produced the lait caillé in a traditional way and added a probiotic starter containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus yoba 2012 to the traditional process. We found various species that are known for their ability to ferment milk, including species from the genera Lactobacillus, Acetobacter, Lactococcus, and Streptococcus. Our results show that the addition of L. rhamnosus to the inoculum, can result in detectable levels of this strain in the final product, ranging between 0.2 and 1 percent of the total bacterial population. Subsequent rounds of fermentation using passive back-slopping without the addition of new L. rhamnosus led to a loss of this strain from the community of fermenting bacteria. Our results suggest that the addition of probiotic strains at every fermentation cycle can enrich the existing complex communities of traditionally fermented lait caillé while traditional bacterial strains remain dominant in the bacterial communities.

Identification of appropriate indicators for assessing sustainability of small-holder milk production systems in Tanzania

Improving the economic, social and environmental sustainability of milk production in Tanzania requires relevant indicators to monitor its progress. There is no existing set of indicators to assess sustainability of smallholder dairy farming systems in Tanzania. This study was carried out to identify relevant indicators for assessing sustainability of smallholder dairy and traditional cattle milk production farms in Tanzania. In four districts, selected based on their potential in milk production, within two regions of Tanzania, a two-round Delphi approach involving 44 diverse experts and stakeholders was used. An “initial set” of 57 indicators was selected based on their relevance to the study context and measurability using literature review as well as discussions with experts and stakeholders. Then, the ‘initial set’ was refined to a final set of 29. The final set includes 18 indicators on economic, 4 on social and 7 on environment pillars. The key economic indicators were milk hygiene and cow productivity; social indicators were participation in organizations and women’s empowerment; environmental indicators were access to water and water conservation. The study showed that a large number of existing indicators might not be relevant in the context of Tanzania’s smallholder dairy and traditional cattle systems. The indicators identified here demonstrate the importance of matching any set of indicators to the characteristics and realities of the specific production system being examined. These indicators should help farmers and other stakeholders to monitor farm sustainability and guide decision makers to make appropriate policies for Tanzania.

High-Throughput Illumina MiSeq Amplicon Sequencing of Yeast Communities Associated With Indigenous Dairy Products From Republics of Benin and Niger.

Traditional Wagashi cheese and fermented cow milk are among the most popular dairy products appreciated by people from Benin, Niger, and the neighboring region. These products are the main source of protein in the diet of the low-income population in the region. The fermented milk is prepared by spontaneous fermentation without back-slopping. Whereas, the leaf extract of Calotropis procera is used for curdling the milk to prepare the soft Wagashi cheese. The present study aims to provide in-depth analysis of yeast communities associated with these traditional milk products by high-throughput Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of fungal rRNA genes. A total of 60 samples, 20 samples of fermented milk each from Benin and Niger, and 20 samples of Wagashi cheese from Benin were used for analysis. The metagenomic investigation revealed that Kluyveromyces marxianus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida parapsilosis, and Sagenomella keratitidis were the predominant yeast species present in the traditional milk products. Furthermore, we noticed a high presence of K. marxianus (61.1% relative abundance) in the Wagashi cheese and S. cerevisiae (28.4% relative abundance) in the fermented milk of Niger. The presence of potential pathogenic yeast C. parapsilosis and S. keratitidis in these African milk products calls for further investigation to assess their safety. The predominant yeast K. marxianus and S. cerevisiae, recognized with generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status, could be further selected as starter culture along with lactic acid bacteria for developing controlled fermentation processes with enhanced product quality and safety.

Genome-wide association study for milk production traits in a Brazilian Holstein population

Advances in the molecular area of selection have expanded knowledge of the genetic architecture of complex traits through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Several GWAS have been performed so far, but confirming these results is not always possible due to several factors, including environmental conditions. Thus, our objective was to identify genomic regions associated with traditional milk production traits, including milk yield, somatic cell score, fat, protein and lactose percentages, and fatty acid composition in a Holstein cattle population producing under tropical conditions. For this, 75,228 phenotypic records from 5,981 cows and genotypic data of 56,256 SNP from 1,067 cows were used in a weighted single-step GWAS. A total of 46 windows of 10 SNP explaining more than 1% of the genetic variance across 10 Bos taurus autosomes (BTA) harbored well-known and novel genes. The MGST1 (BTA5), ABCG2 (BTA6), DGAT1 (BTA14), and PAEP (BTA11) genes were confirmed within some of the regions identified in our study. Potential novel genes involved in tissue damage and repair of the mammary gland (COL18A1), immune response (LTTC19), glucose homeostasis (SLC37A1), synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids (LTBP1), and sugar transport (SLC37A1 and MFSD4A) were found for milk yield, somatic cell score, fat percentage, and fatty acid composition. Our findings may assist genomic selection by using these regions to design a customized SNP array to improve milk production traits on farms with similar environmental conditions.

English

A study was carried out in Enderta district, northern Ethiopia, with the objective of investigating traditional cattle milk and butter production, off take and traditional handling and utilization pattern of bovine milk and butter. Respondents who have milking cows and experience of dairying were purposively selected for the study. A semi structured questionnaire and checklist were prepared to collect the data through interview, farm visit and group discussion. Milk and butter were the most common dairy products that had different utilization patterns. Milk was used for household consumption, calf feed, accumulated on daily bases for fermentation and for sell; whereas, butter was used for household consumption as food, for cosmetic purpose and for sell. The overall average milk off take per day per household was 6.81±0.57 L of which, 62.94% was traditionally processed to butter and butter milk. The overall average butter production per household per week was 1.25±0.05 kg out of which, 80.2% was allocated to market and the remaining to cosmetic and sale. The dominant milking utensils in the area were ‘Kordo’, ‘Gefho’ and ‘Jerican’. These were used for milking, fermenting and churning, respectively. Milk vessels were smoked for the purpose of increasing shelf life of milk and milk products. The interest of farmers engaging on dairy farming is increasing; but they lack awareness on keeping quality of milk and milk products. Almost half of the producers in the area did not use detergents to wash their milk vessels. Therefore, milk producers should be supported with strong extension service by way of introducing improved dairy technologies, improved milk handling and processing equipments. Key words: Handling, utilization, milk vessels, transhumance, sedentary milk, butter. &nbsp

Traditional Balkan fermented milk products.

Traditional fermented milk products have been prepared since ancient time by various civilizations. Despite their long history, popularity, and nutritive and healthy value, the acceleration and industrialization of food production leads to increase of the diversity of fermented milk products in the Balkan Peninsula. As a result of the multitude of food-microbe combinations, there are thousands of different types of fermented milk products - yoghurts, yogurt-like products, and various types of cheeses with proven health benefits. Among those products is the domestic Bulgarian yoghurt "kiselo mlyako", whose anti-aging effect has been scientifically studied yet at the beginning of 20th century. The current review summerizes the wide range of traditional fermented milk products at the Balkan countries, which are the primary source for their production.

Bulk tank somatic cell count and associated microbial quality of milk from selected dairy cattle herds in Oyo State, Nigeria.

Improvement of traditional and nomadic milk production through dairy development program in Nigeria requires routine quality and safety monitoring of milk both at herd level and milk collection centers. A total of 411 bulk raw milk samples aseptically obtained from Ibarapa, Oyo and Oke-Ogun industrial milk collection centers were subjected to California Mastitis Test (CMT), Bulk Somatic Cell Count (BSCC) and bacteriological analysis for assessment of quality and safety of milk from the herds. One hundred and seven (26.0%) of the samples were CMT positive, while 74.0% were negative to CMT. The overall mean BSCC, TAC and TCC were 1.27×103 ± cells/mL, 1.12×103± 34 cfu/mL, 97.8±9.8 cfu/mL in the CMT negative milk samples while for the strong positive samples the mean BSCC, TAC and TCC were 4.33×106 ± cells/mL, 2.35×106 ± 453 cfu/mL, 189.3±41.1 cfu/mL respectively; these were higher than the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance acceptable limits. Positive correlation was found between CMT scores and bacterial contamination and between CMT scores and SCC was recorded. About 26.0% of the samples with positive CMT could be considered unsafe due to strong correlation with microbial contamination that could result in milk borne zoonoses and public health hazards. However, a greater proportion (76.9%) of the milk with negative CMT scores could be safe for human consumption after post-harvest pasteurization. Consequently, there is need to improve handling, environmental and milking hygiene; as well as proper herd and udder health management to improve quality and safety of Nigeria dairy products.

English

Food safety and quality are critical issues that should be given more attention all over the world mainly from nutritional quality and human health point of view. Food safety is a scientific field of study which deals with handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food borne illness. Food safety system is often categorized into two, namely traditional and science-based systems. Food can be used as a source of disease transmission from one person to another; it also serves as a nutrient growth medium for bacteria that can cause food poisoning, and hazardous agent for consumers’ health. Factors which can be a source of potential hazards in foods include traditional milk production accompanied with improper agricultural practices and poor hygienic environment at all stages of the food chain. Quality assurance is mandatory before the milk is consumed. It is achieved up on planned and systematic activities performed in each steps of the quality system. Milk and milk products contaminants are classified into two, namely, infectious and non-infectious agents. Food-borne illnesses are generally infectious or toxic in nature and caused by major infectious diseases such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances getting access to enter into the body through contaminated food or water. Milk and milk products heading for export to global market need to pass through the strictest quality standards. Hazard analysis and critical control point system (HACCP) requires a critical examination through every step of food manufacturing process to determine the possibility of having physical, chemical, or microbiological contamination. To achieve this, it is necessary to control the quality of milk at the grass root level. Key words: Milk, contamination, food safety, quality control.

Characterization and milk coagulating properties of Cynanchum otophyllum Schneid. proteases

The herbaceous plant Cynanchum otophyllum Schneid. is widely used as a milk coagulant to make a Chinese traditional milk product, milk cake. However, the milk-clotting compounds and their mechanism remain unclear. In this study, crude proteases were extracted from the dried leaves of Cynanchum otophyllum Schneid. using citric acid-phosphate buffer and then partially purified by weak anion exchange chromatography. Two proteases, QA and QC, with molecular weights of 14 and 27 kDa, respectively, were shown to exhibit milk-clotting activity. A study of the effects of pH and temperature on the milk-clotting activity and proteolytic activity of the proteases showed that they exhibited good pH stability from pH 5.5 to 7.5 and good thermal stability at temperatures from 50 to 70°C. The QA and QC were the cysteine proteases, able to hydrolyze β-casein and κ-casein completely, and α-casein partially. The cleavage site on κ-casein determined by Orbitrap (Thermo Fisher Scientific, San Jose, CA) analysis showed that QA and QC could cleave κ-casein at Ser132-Thr133. Overall, the results suggest that the Cynanchum otophyllum Schneid. proteases are a promising milk-clotting enzyme that could be used for manufacturing milk cake and cheese.

Invited review: Reproductive and genomic technologies to optimize breeding strategies for genetic progress in dairy cattle

Abstract. Dairy cattle breeders have exploited technological advances that have emerged in the past in regards to reproduction and genomics. The implementation of such technologies in routine breeding programs has permitted genetic gains in traditional milk production traits as well as, more recently, in low-heritability traits like health and fertility. As demand for dairy products increases, it is important for dairy breeders to optimize the use of available technologies and to consider the many emerging technologies that are currently being investigated in various fields. Here we review a number of technologies that have helped shape dairy breeding programs in the past and present, along with those potentially forthcoming. These tools have materialized in the areas of reproduction, genotyping and sequencing, genetic modification, and epigenetics. Although many of these technologies bring encouraging opportunities for genetic improvement of dairy cattle populations, their applications and benefits need to be weighed with their impacts on economics, genetic diversity, and society.

Physicochemical Analysis and Microbial Quality of Cow Butter Obtained from Menz District of Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Menz has long been known for its quality butter production but traditional milk products are reported to be of substandard quality. Therefore, this investigation was conducted to access physiochemical and microbial quality of butter from Menz District along the market value chain. The microbiological count data were transformed to log10 values before statistical analysis. Overall values of 15.05:82.62:2.09%, 14.26:83.44:2.77%, 14.25:83.30:1.03%, 14.58:83.82: 3.58% and 12.52: 83.96: 2.82% moisture, fat and free fatty acid contents were observed in samples from farmers, traders, made by investigators, Tarmaber and Addis Ababa, respectively. Overall mean score of total Aerobic Mesophilic Bacterial count ranging from 3.26 x109 (sample made by invigilator) to 4.20 x 109 (sample from Addis Ababa) were recorded. Similarly, the total coliform count ranges from 1.61 x 106 to 3.03 x106 and the yeast and mold counts vary from 1.31 x106 to 1.83 x106 from samples collected at different butter market value chains. There is unhygienic production and processing of butter in the study area which calls for improvement.

Studies on sensory characteristics ofSandesh by incorporating with mango pulp (Mangifera indica L.) cv. ALPHONSO

Sandesh is the one of the most popular traditional milk products in Indian subcontinent. Pattern of milk production in India indicates that about 6 per cent of the milk produced is coagulated to produce Chhana . Out of this, about 80 per cent is used for manufacture of Sandesh . The efforts are made in the present investigation to add the value of Sandesh by incorporating the mango pulp @ 7.5 per cent, 15 per cent, 22.5 per cent and 30 per cent of weight of Chhana . The different sesory characteristics were determined. It is concluded, the cow milk Chhana best for Sandesh preparation. Sensory characteristics i.e. colour and appearance, flavour, body and texture of Sandesh was done using hedonic rating scale then it is concluded that score increasing with addition of mango pulp upto 22.5 per cent level of mango pulp (T 3 ) then decline significantly with increase in the level of mango pulp. From the results of present investigation it may be concluded that mango pulp could be successfully utilized for preparation of Sandesh . Addition of mango pulp in cow milk Sandesh improved sensory quality and acceptability of the product. For incorporation of Sandesh the optimum level of mango pulp found to be 22.5 per cent on the basis of weight of Chhana .

Molecular characterization of Escherichia coli recovered from traditional milk products in Kashan, Iran.

Aim:Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) strains as emerging groups of foodborne pathogens are responsible for most foodborne illnesses. The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic resistance pattern in STEC isolated from traditional milk products and their molecular characterization.Materials and Methods:A total of 116 samples were randomly purchased from local markets in Kashan, Iran, and evaluated for the occurrence of STEC by culturing and molecular methods. The antibiotic resistance of obtained isolates was determined by Kirby Bauer method. Furthermore, isolates were assayed for the presence of Shiga toxins (stx1 and stx2) and intimin gene (eae).Results:The incidence of E. coli in 60 ice cream, 30 yoghurt, and 26 cheese samples was 8.33%, 10%, and 11.54%, respectively. The findings showed that 11 out of 11 (100%) E. coli had both stx1 and stx2 while eae gene was not found in E. coli isolated of traditional milk products. For E. coli strains carrying stx1 and stx2, highest antibiotic sensitive levels were related to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, norfloxacin, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin, respectively.Conclusion:The results showed relationship between the presence of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance. These results can be used for further studies on STEC as an emerging foodborne pathogen.

Movements of dams milked for fermented horse milk production in Mongolia.

Airag, (Fermented horse milk) is a traditional milk product in Mongolia. Herders separate foals from their dams and tie them at a milking site during the daytime to produce airag. To evaluate the effects of horse management on the movement of dams, we tracked three dams in a herd in camp 1 during summer and camp 2 during autumn of 2013 and analyzed their movements during the milking (daytime) and non-milking (nighttime) periods in an area famous for its high-quality airag. Dams were gathered every 1.7±0.0h between 07.46 and 15.47hours at the milking sites and milked 4.6±0.2 times/day during the study period (86days). Daily cumulative and maximum linear distances from the milking sites were longer (P<0.01) during the non-milking period than during the milking period. Daily home ranges were 91 and 26 times greater during the non-milking period (P<0.001) in camps 1 and 2, respectively. The greater range during the non-milking period would reflect the spatial distributions of water, salt and forage. The dams initially used similar areas and gradually shifted their daily home ranges after several days. This shift suggests that the dams grazed farther afield as forage availability declined around the milking site. For better airag production and sustainable pasture use, our results provide insights useful for evaluating the effects of milking management on vegetation and soil in those pastures, for selecting the appropriate milking times and frequency, and for choosing the right timing to shift milking sites.