Adaptation of Fleischmann method for lactation calculations in sheep to local breeding system in Bulgaria and cost of milk recording

摘要

The small farm system of shepherding in Bulgaria nowadays does not allow for the application of the Fleischmann method for lactation calculations without adjustment. Proposed alternatives provide representative information for milk yield of dairy sheep in agreement with international regulations and standards, giving enough accuracy equivalent to the original method. Costs of milk recording data are calculated on the basis of the number of ewes with at least three test day data. Yearly, the recording costs per ewe have been 107.20 leva for 1994, 139.50 leva for 1995 and 230.32 leva for 1996, which is equivalent to the price of 5.36 litres of milk for 1994 - 1995 and 7.6 litres of milk for 1996. The AC method of milk recording is quite a costly activity under small farm conditions so milk recording could therefore be effectively and perspectively applied among dairy sheep farmers if the B method of milk recording could be implemented and cheap and easy communication tools with farmers are used.