The objective of this work was to estimate milk production through hand milking, using different doses (1; 2; 3; 4; and 5 IU) of oxytocin intramuscularly. Ten adult Hampshire Down ewes were assigned to a 5 x 5 repeated Latin square design, with five ewes and five days. Milking was performed after a 4-hour lamb separation period, and then corrected to 24 hours. On the last day of estimation, the ewes were milked at four different times, 12:30 p.m.; 06:30 p.m.; 12:30 a.m. and 06:30 a.m.. This procedure was done to estimate which milking period showed greater correlation with the total daily milk production. No significant differences were observed among oxytocin doses in the milk production. Milk production averages for 1; 2; 3; 4 e 5 IU doses were, respectively, 1020.80; 936.20; 1028.40; 1235.40 and 1159.80 g. Milk composition was not affected by oxytocin doses, either. Averages for total solids, crude protein, lactose and fat were, respectively, 17.3; 4.3; 3.8 and 7.4%. Correlation among the milk production estimates obtained in the four milking periods and the total daily milk production ranged from 0.71 to 0.97. Therefore, for daily milk production estimate, it can be recommended the smallest dose (1 IU) of oxytocin and only one daily milking, with lamb separation of 4 hours.
crude protein; fat; lactation; maternal ability; milking; sheep
