Effect of part-time grazing and alfalfa hay supplementation on fatty acid content of sheep's milk

Part-time grazing is a traditional flock management method in th e Basque Country region of Northern Spain which starts in late winter or early spring according to we ather conditions. Pasture feeding is supple- mented indoors with forage (alfalfa and conserved forages) and concentrate to meet milk production require- ments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of actual grazing time on the amount of individual fatty acids in the milk obtained. The experiment was conducted during 4 weeks from late April until mid-May. Sheep were separated into 4 homogeneous groups of 12 sheep e ach, and randomly assigned to 3 different