Abstract

STEFFEN, Kevin Denis; ARIAS, Rubén Omar; GORTARI, Lihuel  and  MORE, Gastón. Relación del grado de FAMACHA©, la condición corporal y edad en la producción diaria de leche de cabras Saanen en la provincia de Buenos Aires. Analecta vet. [online]. 2022, vol.42, n.1, e062. ISSN 1514-2590.  http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24215/15142590e062.

The objective of the present study was to analyze the relationship of the FAMACHA© grade, body condition score (BCS) and age with the daily milk production of Saanen goats, from two dairy farms of Buenos Aires province. A total of 318 Saanen goats were evaluated in the second third of lactation. Daily milk volume (L) was measured during mechanical milking twice a day. Goats were categorized according to FAMACHA© in Acceptable (n=56, grades 1 and 2), Intermediate (n=178, grade 3) and Risky (n=84, grades 4 and 5); according to BCS in Skinny (n=158, ≤2.75 points), Good (n=153, 3 to 3.75 points) and Obese (n=7, ≥4 points); and according to age in Young (n=99, <2 years), Adult 1 (n=142, 3-4 years) and Adult 2 (n=77, ≥5 years). Daily milk production was higher in goats of the Acceptable and Intermediate, Good, and Adult 1 groups. The goats categorized Risky and Skinny (n=54; 1.353 L) produced significantly less milk than the rest of the population (n=264; 1.753 L), and those categorized Acceptable and Good produced 19.2 % more. Dairy production in Saanen goats may be optimized by sanitary and nutritional improvements based on routinary use of FAMACHA© and BCS evaluations.

Keywords : goats; dairy production; anemia; body fat reserve; Argentina.