TRACE ELEMENT COMPOSITION OF EWES MILK FROM FOUR SHEEP BREEDs in PASTURE REARING

Ljubomir Angelov, Borislav Blazhev, Silviya Ivanova

Abstract: The present work aimed to study the effect of the trace element composition of ewe’s milk from Karakachan breed (KB), Rhodope Tsigai (RT), Middle Rhodope breed (MRB) sheep and Cross breed sheep under pasture feeding on the May-July period in the region of the Middle Rhodope Mountains. During the lactation the concentration of boron and manganese in sheep milk from KB, RT and MRB decreased in June and increased on July, while at Cross breed sheep increased from 0.10 to 0.25 mg/l during the period. The content of trace elements barium and copper increased at MRB, while KB, RT and Cross breed decreased on June and increased on July. The iron in milk of the four breeds of sheep decreased on June and increased on July. Zinc analysed in ewe’s milk is increasing on the lactation in the MRB from 5.8 to 6.65 mg/l, reduced in RT from 5.6 to 4.4 mg/l and crosses from 6.27 to 5.56 mg/l and lowest on June in KB (4.5 mg/l).

Keywords: Cross breed; ewes milk; Karakachan breed; Middle Rhodope breeds; Rhodope Tsigai; trace elements

Date published: 2017-11-11