Udder Conformation

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  • Current trends of the Spanish Assaf Sheep / Genetic Improvement Program - 2018 - Overview of the genetic improvement of dairy traits in the Assaf breed over the last 25 years.  An intensive selection and breeding program employed by the Spanish Assaf Association has resulted in major improvements in the breed’s milk yield, lactation length, and udder conformation.  The breed improvement program has also included selection for milk composition and somatic cell count.

  • MILK RECORDING AND GENETIC IMPROVEMENT - 2010 - David L. Thomas and Yves M. Berger, Department of Animal Sciences and Spooner Agricultural Research Station, University of Wisconsin-Madison. In Depth look at milk recording processes and other genetic traits like udder conformation. 

  • Udder morphology and effects on milk production and ease of milking in dairy sheep - 2004 - Rovai - In this detailed article, the authors review udder and teat anatomy, the heritability of morphological traits, how to evaluate morphology and machine milkability, and the trade-off between production and morphology.

  • Udder morphology and machine milking ability in dairy sheep - 2000 - Caja. This detailed paper describes the anatomy and morphology of the dairy sheep udder, explains their importance for machine milkability, and discusses selection for various traits and the upsides and downsides.

  • Physiological factors that modify the efficiency of machine milking in dairy ewes - 2000 - McKusick. This paper introduces the concept that machine milking efficiency may be a more useful assessment of an individual ewe than simply milk volume and should be considered in future genetic selection programs. High machine milking efficiency can be defined as getting the maximum amount of milk that is rich in total solids in the shortest amount of time possible with the least amount of physical intervention by the milker, without any negative effects on udder or ewe health. The authors discuss the factors in early lactation (e.g., lamb suckling), between milkings (e.g., udder morphology), and during milking (e.g., manual stripping) that can alter efficiency.

  • Preliminary observations on milk flow and udder morphology traits of East Friesian crossbred dairy ewes - 2000 - McKusick. Enrolling 72 East Friesian ewes, several milk flow, time, and volume metrics were collected with milk flow sensors, and udder morphology and rumination were visually assessed. The authors present their findings.