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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / The Effects of the Lactation Period, Mare Age, and Foaling o...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(12); 1817; doi: 10.3390/ani15121817

The Effects of the Lactation Period, Mare Age, and Foaling on the Chemical and Physical Composition of Milk from Kazakh Mares Kept Under Natural Pasture Conditions.

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of milk from Kazakh mares kept under free-grazing conditions on natural pasture without supplementary feeding. Fifty Kazakh mares were aged 3 to 13 years, kept in herds, and categorized by age, number of foalings, and lactation stage for statistical analysis. Milk samples were collected, chilled, and analyzed on the same day using a Milkoscan FT2. The composition of fat, protein, lactose, total solids, casein, and other components was examined. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA, PCA, CDA, and Pearson correlation analysis, were performed using JMP 17 Pro to assess the effects of lactation stage, mare age, and foaling number and to identify key relationships. The results showed that milk composition was significantly influenced by these factors. Milk from the late-lactation stage contained higher protein, lactose, and total nutrients, while milk from the early-lactation stage had a higher sugar content and acidity. Older mares and those with higher foalings produced milk with higher concentrations of glucose and galactose, while younger mares and those with fewer foalings produced milk with higher fat. A key aspect of this experiment was that all mares grazed exclusively on natural pastures without supplementation, allowing for an objective assessment of their inherent productive potential. These findings deepen the understanding of mare milk composition dynamics in Kazakh breed horses under extensive management, supporting its potential for organic dairy production.
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Publication Date: 2025-06-19 PubMed ID: 40564365PubMed Central: PMC12189648DOI: 10.3390/ani15121817Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

In a nutshell, the article explores how age, lactation stage, and number of foalings of Kazakh mares affect the composition of their milk when they are kept on natural grazing fields without supplementary feeds.

Research Objectives and Methodology

  • This study aimed to scrutinize how various factors like the age of Kazakh mares, lactation stage, and number of foalings influence the chemical and physical structure of their milk in the absence of additional feeding. The ultimate goal was to better understand how these elements affect the milk’s components and the productive capabilities of the mares.
  • The experiment involved 50 Kazakh mares aged 3 to 13 years. They were kept in herds, allowed to free-graze, and organized into categories based on their age, number of foalings, and lactation stage to facilitate in-depth statistical analysis.
  • On the day of sample collection, milk samples acquired were quickly chilled and analyzed using a Milkoscan FT2, an analytical instrument used to examine the milk’s components including fat, protein, lactose, total solids, casein, and other elements.
  • For the purpose of assessing how the mares’ age, lactation stage, and number of foalings affect the milk’s composition, multiple statistical analyses like ANOVA, PCA, CDA, and Pearson correlation analysis were run using JMP 17 Pro software.

Research Findings

  • The results demonstrated a clear influence of the age of the mare, the number of foalings, and the stage of lactation on the composition of milk.
  • Milk from the late-lactation stage had increased protein, lactose, and total nutrient contents. Conversely, milk from the early-lactation stage had a high sugar content and acidity.
  • The data also revealed age-related and foaling-related differences in milk composition. Older mares and those with a higher number of foalings had milk with higher glucose and galactose levels. Meanwhile, younger mares and those with fewer foalings produced milk with a higher fat content.
  • All mares in this study grazed exclusively on natural pastures without any dietary supplementation. This setup facilitated an unbiased evaluation of the mares’ inherent productive capabilities.

Conclusion and Implications

  • The findings from this study offer additional insights into the dynamics of mare milk composition in Kazakh horses managed extensively. This knowledge is particularly useful for the potential increase of organic dairy production, opening possibilities for healthier and more sustainable dairy products.

Cite This Article

APA
Toishimanov M, Zhanten O, Kanat R, Beishova I, Ulyanov V, Assanbayev T, Sharapatov T, Daurov D, Daurova A, Sapakhova Z, Nametov A, Shamekova M. (2025). The Effects of the Lactation Period, Mare Age, and Foaling on the Chemical and Physical Composition of Milk from Kazakh Mares Kept Under Natural Pasture Conditions. Animals (Basel), 15(12), 1817. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15121817

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 12
PII: 1817

Researcher Affiliations

Toishimanov, Maxat
  • Laboratory of Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev 45, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
Zhanten, Olzhas
  • Laboratory of Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev 45, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
Kanat, Rakhim
  • Laboratory of Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev 45, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
  • Tanir Research Laboratory, Al-Farabi Avenue 75B, Almaty 050060, Kazakhstan.
Beishova, Indira
  • Testing Center, Zhangir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhangir Khan 51, Oral 090009, Kazakhstan.
Ulyanov, Vadim
  • Testing Center, Zhangir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhangir Khan 51, Oral 090009, Kazakhstan.
Assanbayev, Tolegen
  • Zootechnology and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture Science, Toraighyrov University, Lomov 64, Pavlodar 140008, Kazakhstan.
Sharapatov, Tlekbol
  • Zootechnology and Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture Science, Toraighyrov University, Lomov 64, Pavlodar 140008, Kazakhstan.
Daurov, Dias
  • Laboratory of Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev 45, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
Daurova, Ainash
  • Laboratory of Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev 45, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
Sapakhova, Zagipa
  • Laboratory of Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev 45, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
  • Tanir Research Laboratory, Al-Farabi Avenue 75B, Almaty 050060, Kazakhstan.
Nametov, Askar
  • Testing Center, Zhangir Khan West-Kazakhstan Agrarian Technical University, Zhangir Khan 51, Oral 090009, Kazakhstan.
Shamekova, Malika
  • Laboratory of Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Timiryazev 45, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
  • Tanir Research Laboratory, Al-Farabi Avenue 75B, Almaty 050060, Kazakhstan.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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