Milk yields and milk compositions of 2 different goat breeds with high milk yields, the Damascus (Shami) goat and the German Fawn x Hair goat crossbred (B1), were monitored during lactation in order to evaluate their performance under Eastern Mediterranean conditions as an alternative to the Hair goat which has a low milk yield and shorter lactation period. The milk yield was recorded by the ICAR A4 method at 28-day intervals throughout the 240 days of lactation. After weaning on the 60th day of lactation, milk samples were collected at 28-day intervals and were analysed for different milk components. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the milk yields and gross compositions of these 2 goat breeds (P > 0.05). The average milk yield, and total solids, protein, fat, lactose and ash contents were 347.6 ± 19.05 and 316.8 ± 35.61 l, 12.2 ± 0.16 and 12.4 ± 0.28 (%), 3.5 ± 0.07 and 3.4 ± 0.11 (%), 4.3 ± 0.12 and 4.1 ± 0.23 (%), 3.6 ± 0.08 and 4.2 ± 0.11 (%), and 0.77 ± 0.02 and 0.72 ± 0.03 (%), for the Damascus and the crossbred, respectively. It was concluded that the breeding of both the Damascus and the crossbred should be encouraged in the Mediterranean region of Turkey in order to increase goat milk production since both breeds had higher milk yields than that of the Hair goat as reported in the literature.

Milk yields and milk compositions of 2 different goat breeds with high milk yields, the Damascus (Shami) goat and the German Fawn x Hair goat crossbred (B1), were monitored during lactation in order to evaluate their performance under Eastern Mediterranean conditions as an alternative to the Hair goat which has a low milk yield and shorter lactation period. The milk yield was recorded by the ICAR A4 method at 28-day intervals throughout the 240 days of lactation. After weaning on the 60th day of lactation, milk samples were collected at 28-day intervals and were analysed for different milk components. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the milk yields and gross compositions of these 2 goat breeds (P > 0.05). The average milk yield, and total solids, protein, fat, lactose and ash contents were 347.6 ± 19.05 and 316.8 ± 35.61 l, 12.2 ± 0.16 and 12.4 ± 0.28 (%), 3.5 ± 0.07 and 3.4 ± 0.11 (%), 4.3 ± 0.12 and 4.1 ± 0.23 (%), 3.6 ± 0.08 and 4.2 ± 0.11 (%), and 0.77 ± 0.02 and 0.72 ± 0.03 (%), for the Damascus and the crossbred, respectively. It was concluded that the breeding of both the Damascus and the crossbred should be encouraged in the Mediterranean region of Turkey in order to increase goat milk production since both breeds had higher milk yields than that of the Hair goat as reported in the literature.