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ALCES SUPPL. 2, 2002 CHALYSHEV AND BADLO - NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF MILK

41

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF MILK FROM DOMESTICATED TAIGA

MOOSE DURING THE LACTATION PERIOD

Aleksandr V. Chalyshev and Larisa P. Badlo

Institute of Physiology, Komi Scientific Center, Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences,

167610, Syktyvkar GSP, Komi Republic, Russia

ABSTRACT:  Changes in the concentrations of mineral and organic substances in moose milk

during lactation were examined in relation to lactation stage and nutritional (dry matter) intake by

domesticated taiga moose.  Initial increases in nutrient and fat concentrations were documented in

the milk during the lactation peak in June (lactation days 1–25), concurrent with the availability of

high quality forage.  Subsequent measures of mineral element concentrations in moose milk

gradually decreased (lactation days 26–100).

ALCES SUPPLEMENT 2: 41-44 (2002)

Key words:  calves, domestication, forage, milk, moose, nutrition

It has been previously documented that

moose (Alces alces) milk has a high nutri-
tional value and is important to the survival

of neonates (Franzmann et al. 1976, Gelbert

and Kargina 1989, Ivanova et al. 1991).

However, little is known about the nutrient

content of moose milk during the lactation

period.  The purpose of this paper is to

document the concentrations of mineral and

organic substances in the milk of domesti-

cated taiga moose during lactation.

METHODS

We examined the nutrient composition

(i.e., mineral and organic substances) of

milk produced by lactating, domesticated

female moose on a Pechora-Ilych reserva-

tion farm.  Data were collected over a 2-

year period from 8 animals of differing ages

(2 – 12 years) and milk productivity (140 –

350 kg total production).  During the lacta-

tion period moose were fed birch, willow,

rowan-tree, and aspen branches, in addition

to a maximum of 10 kg of potatoes and 3-3.5

kg of concentrates (mixed feed) per animal

per day.  Samples were collected during

every milking event 7-10 days after the

calving and 3 – 4 times during each of the

following periods: peak lactation (20 – 25

days post-calving), the decreasing produc-

tion period (45 – 55 days post-calving), and

the completion of lactation (80–100 days

post-calving), in proportion to milking yield

amounts.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Generally, colostrum appears in the nip-

ples a day or two before calving and the

colostrum period finishes a day or two post-

calving.  During the next period (10–25

days post-calving) female moose achieve

their highest milk productivity.  These levels

coincide with increases in the availability of

green forage plants, which have high min-

eral and organic substance concentrations

(potassium - estimated maximum of 25 g/kg

of dry matter; calcium - estimated maxi-

mum of 11 g/kg of dry matter; magnesium -

estimated maximum of 3 g/kg of dry matter;

phosphorus - estimated maximum of 2.5 g/

kg of dry matter; and, protein - estimated

maximum of 25 g/kg of dry matter).  It

appears that maximum milk productivity

and nutritional quality are related to the



NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF MILK - CHALYSHEV AND BADLO ALCES SUPPL. 2, 2002

42

timing of calving and the production of

nutritious forage in the spring (Table 1).  For

example, on the Kostroma farm, the highest

milk yield was observed during the first

days of female moose lactation (Gelbert

and Kargina 1989).

The colostrum produced during the first

two lactation days is rich in protein, after

which time there is a decreasing percentage

of fat in the milk.  The milk composition of

Pechora taiga female moose is character-

ized by the amount of protein exceeding that

of fat until the end of the lactation peak

period.  Calcium and phosphorus levels are

greatest during the peak of lactation, al-

though these levels are only 20% of those

found in the colostrum (Table 2).  Sodium,

potassium, and magnesium concentrations

in domesticated taiga moose milk remains

relatively unchanged over the entire lacta-

tion period.  The maximum amino-nitrogen

level (free amino acids) in the milk occurs

during the peak of lactation, however con-

centrations of nitrogen and protein are low

during this period.  Therefore, we suggest

that because the milk composition of June-

calving females has the greatest nutrient

concentrations on days 8 through 11 of

lactation (20th through the 25th days for

May-calving females), lactation levels may

be dependent upon forage availability and

quality.

Calcium and amino-nitrogen levels in

the moose milk decreased 45 – 55 days

post-calving by approximately 27 and 40%,

respectively.  However, dry matter, protein,

and nitrogen levels increased by 15 – 16%.

In general, the nutritional elements of the

milk decreased by an average of 1.5 from

the peak of lactation.  The completion of

lactation (80 – 100 days post-calving) is

characterized by an increase in levels of

most of the mineral elements by approxi-

mately 10–20% over the previous period.

In total, domesticated female taiga moose

produced an average of 320-350 kg of milk

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ALCES SUPPL. 2, 2002 CHALYSHEV AND BADLO - NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF MILK

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(Kudryavtzeva 1976, Sivoha 1991) and up

to 200 g of sodium, 700 g of potassium, 1,300

g of calcium, 110 g of magnesium, 300 g of

chlorine, 1,000 g of phosphorus, and 2,500 g

of nitrogen.

Therefore, it appears that the milk of

domesticated taiga moose possesses its high-

est nutritional value during the peak of lac-

tation, although protein levels are high

through to the completion of lactation.  In

contrast with the nutritional content of milk

from other domesticated ruminants, which

do not exhibit sharp changes in the nutrient

levels, the nutritional quality of milk from

wild and domesticated female moose ap-

pears to be dependent upon the lactation

period and the quantity and quality of avail-

able forage.

REFERENCES

FRANZMANN, A. W., A. FLYNN, and P. D.

ARNESON.  1976.  Moose milk and hair

elements levels and relationships.  Jour-

nal of Wildlife Diseases 12:202-207.

GELBERT, M. D., and M. S. KARGINA.  1989.

Moose as a productive animal: about

ratio of fat and protein in the milk.

Agricultural Biology 2:95-98.  (In Rus-

sian).

IVANOVA, G. M., M. V. KOJHYHOV, and A. F.

SIMAKOV.  1991.  Biochemical charac-

teristics of moose milk.  Pages 100–107

in Biological studies in Pechora–Ilych
Reserve, Syktyvkar.  Works of the Komi

Scientific Center, Ural Division, Rus-

sian Academy of Sciences, No. 116.

(In Russian).

KUDRYAVTZEVA, E. N.  1976.  Changes of fat

amount of female moose milk during the

lactation.  Pages 134–142 in Works of
Pechora–Ilych reserve, Part 13.  Komi

Publishing House, Syktyvkar, Russia.

(In Russian).

SIVOHA, I. N.  1991.  Milk productivity of

domesticated moose.  Pages 126–130

in Biological studies in Pechora–Ilych



NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF MILK - CHALYSHEV AND BADLO ALCES SUPPL. 2, 2002

44

Reserve, Syktyvkar.  Works of the Komi

Scientific Center, Ural Division, Rus-

sian Academy of Sciences, No. 116.

(In Russian).