A Study of Milk Yield and Composition of Marga Ewes in Iraqi Kurdistan Region

• Shayma Rostam Othman1* and Yousif M. S. AL-Barzinji1

  Author

This study was conducted to evaluate milk yield, milk composition, and associated genetic parameters in Marga ewes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A total of 40 ewes were monitored under field conditions to assess total milk yield (TMY), daily milk yield (DMY), post-weaning milk yield (PoWMY), pre-weaning milk yield (PaWMY), lactation period (LP), and milk composition traits including fat, protein, lactose, and solid non-fat percentages. The overall means (± SD) were 558.23 ± 10.91 kg/ewe for TMY, 88.05 ± 23.15 g/ewe/day for DMY, 61.89 ± 11.49 kg/ewe for PoWMY, 26.16 ± 18.53 kg/ewe for PaWMY, and 170.99 ± 32.93 days for LP. Milk composition averaged 5.16 ± 1.12% fat, 4.33 ± 0.35% protein, 6.19 ± 0.38% lactose, and 11.25 ± 0.57% solid non-fat. The effects of non-genetic factors, including age of ewe, type of birth, month of lambing, and lactation stage, were evaluated. Results indicated that most factors significantly influenced certain milk traits, while the sex of lamb showed no significant effect. Genetic evaluation using Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) revealed a wide range of breeding values for TMY (-73.35 to 38.70 kg/ewe), indicating substantial genetic variability within the population. Similarly, Most Probable Producing Ability (MPPA) values ranged from 50.18 to 104.90, further confirming the potential for genetic improvement. The findings suggest that Marga ewes possess considerable genetic diversity for milk production traits, and that selection based on genetic merit can effectively enhance productivity. These results provide a useful foundation for breeding programs aimed at improving milk yield and composition in this indigenous sheep breed.

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