MODELING OF MILK PRODUCTION AND COMPOSITION CURVES IN A HERD OF F1 ALPINE x NUBIAN GOATS IN SAN LUIS POTOSÃ, MÉXICO

Abstract

Goat milk production is a major source of income for farmers in arid and semiarid regions of México. However, in Mexico there is limited information on the characterization of milk production curves and its components. The aim of this study was to characterize the lactation curves and their components (total solids, fat, protein) in F1 (Alpine x Nubian) goats of the Potosino highlands, using three mathematical models. Monophasic, diphasic and incomplete gamma models were evaluated, considering as adjustment criteria the mean square error, pseudo R2, Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion and -2 log likelihood. To characterize the milk production curve, the diphasic model was the most consistent in all the criteria for adjustment, so it was more useful than the monophasic and incomplete gamma models. For the curves of the milk components, the best adjustment corresponded to the incomplete gamma model.