Stability of milking order in goat over a long period (short communication)

Abstract. The aim of this paper was to assess if goat milking order was stabile over a long period and if milking order is influenced by horned ness, age, body weight, breed, social status and milk productivity.

Milking order was studied in three periods: the second half of 1999, and the first and second halves of 2000.

To verify the results statistically, a variance analysis (ANOVA), the least squares method and Spearman's rank correlation were used.

The observed milking order of goats was non-random and very similar in the two consecutive years. Milk yield correlated with the milking order in two of the three periods (higher–yielding goats entered the milking parlour first). Social status as well as age affected milking order only in one period (dominant and younger animals came to the milking parlour earlier). In one period it was observed that body weight influenced the milking order at a marginally significant level (p = 0.0598). Heavier goats were milked before lighter ones.

It can be suggested, that milk productivity is the strongest predictor of the animal position in the milking order. However, habits seems to influence milking order stronger than measurable traits. The own results were compared with other studies on milking order in cattle, sheep and goats.