The relationship between multiple births and milk yields in non-suckled intensively managed dairy goats

The objective of the study was to estimate the relationship between multipl e births, mill; yield and milk constituents in intensively managed Nubian g oats. Data from a commercial dairy were collected from 1992 to 1996 and 104 doe records analysed, Milk yields were adjusted to a 250 day (MILK250), 30 5 day lactation (MILK305) and corrected to 4% fat (FCM4%). Milk constituent s included fat (FAT%) and protein percent (PROT%) over the lactation. Kids were separated from their darns at birth, hand fed colostrum and reared on pasturized goats milk. Does which gave birth to multiple kids produced sign ificantly more milk over the lactation (MILK250 = 807.6 kg, MILK305 = 972.6 kg, FCM4% = 781.2 kg) compared to does that produced singles (MILK250 = 66 4.6 kg, MILK305 = 800.9 kg, FCM4% = 628.3 kg). Multiple births were associa ted with higher milk yields but not milk constituents. (C) 1999 Published b y Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.