Summary. The quality of sheep milk is paramount in controlling the quality of dairy products made from it. We describe the factors affecting the quality of the milk of sheep milked commercially for dairy production, with an emphasis on Australia and New Zealand. Some of these factors, such as the genotype of the sheep, are difficult to control, but others are environmental factors, such as the nutrition and management of the milking flock, and can be manipulated by the farmer to produce high quality milk. To obtain high quality milk, ewes must be milked out regularly and completely, which implies adopting appropriate milking routines and milking equipment. It is also important that the ewes are healthy and receive adequate diets. Physiologically the ewes must be in an appropriate stage of lactation because at the very beginning and at the end of lactation the milk is of poor manufacturing quality, even though it has high fat and protein content. These factors and their influence on milk quality for the processing of milk into dairy products, especially cheese, are described and critically examined.

Reproduction Nutrition Development, formerly Annales de Biologie Animale Biochimie Biophysique

Sarda (n = 8), Awassi (n = 8), and Merino (n = 8) ewes were subjected unilaterally to once-daily milking (ODM) or twice daily milking (TDM) to test the hypothesis that the two breeds highly selected for milk production (Sarda and Awassi) would not respond as much to a change in the frequency of milking as the Merino, a wool sheep that has not been selected for dairy production. Milk composition and somatic cell count (SCC) were also assessed to determine if the changes in milking frequency affected milk quality. Milk yield was 24% and 18% lower in ODM udder halves than TDM udder halves in Sarda and Awassi breeds, respectively. The yield loss due to ODM was similar to that observed in Merino ewes (23%) and did not support our hypothesis. Fat content did not differ significantly in any breeds between ODM and TDM udder halves. Protein content was higher in the milk of ODM than TDM udder halves in Sarda and Merino ewes. The SCC was influenced by milking treatment only in the Sarda ewes, with high values observed in the milk of ODM udder halves. The same trend was observed in the Awassi and Merino breeds, but the differences were not significant. The effects on milk yield, composition, and SCC caused by ODM were completely reversed when TDM was resumed. This suggests that in sheep flocks the milk yield losses due to short-time suppression of one daily milking, for example, on festive days, are low and temporary.

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) is an endangered carnivore of southern and central Asia. Approximate 10% of the global population occurs in the Him