The Relationships Between Udder Sagging and Milk Productivity in Kilis Goats

Abstract

This study was carried out in order to determine whether there was any relationship between udder sagging and milk yield of Kilis goats, which were raised by farmers in the Polateli district of Kilis. For this purpose, of the 73 Kilis goats udder upper height (UUH), udder length up to the teat (ULT), udder cistern depth (UCD), udder depth (UD), distance between teats (DBT), udder bottom height (UBH), and teat height (TH), daily milk yields (DMY) of determined goats were determined. The mean squares of these udder measurements were determined as 47.66 +/- 0.36 cm, 23.99 +/- 0.36 cm, 21.35 +/- 0.58 cm, 15.53 +/- 0.47 cm, 21.59 +/- 0.57 cm, 26.31 +/- 0.59 cm and 23.67 +/- 0.60 cm, respectively. The daily milk yield was calculated as 687.09 +/- 32.37 g. It was determined that the age of the goat was effective only on UUH, while the type of birth affected both UUH and UD features. A correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationship between udder measurements and daily milk yield. It was found to have positive, moderately strong, and significant correlations between DMY and UCD and UD, but it was found to have negative corelations between DMY and UBH and TH. The regression coefficients between DMY and UCD and UD were 32.79 +/- 5.63 and 40.31 +/- 6.69, respectively; the regression coefficients between DMY and UBH and TH were-24.56 +/- 6.36 and-25.91 +/- 6.14, respectively. It seemed that the goats with very low UD and UCD had very low milk yields, while the goats with low UBH and TH had more milk yields. Therefore, caution should be exercised as the culling of goats whose udders is near the ground may decrease milk yield.