Morphology and function of mammary gland in moose cows under domestication on Sumarokovo moose farm

The study deals with morphology and functions of mammary glands in female moose under domes-tication. The research was made on Sumarokovo moose farm, Kostroma Region and on the basis of Kostroma State Agricultural Academy. The object of the research was adult lactating moose cows in their first to sixteenth lactation (n=33 heads). Mammary glands of domesticated and wild moose shot under license were used as material for mor-phological study. For microscopic study the sam-ples were taken from each quarter of the mammary gland to be later processed into tissue specimen using conventional methods. The ratio of glandular and connective tissue in domesticated moose cows in the period of functional activity of their mammary gland was 2.3:1, while that of wild moose cows was 1.1:1. The analysis of milk productivity of moose cows in the course of ten years makes it possible to conclude that lactation period begins immediately after calving (April-May) and continues practically till the middle of September, the average duration is amounting to 118±2.4 days. Secretion apparatus of the mammary gland parenchyma in moose cows on Sumarokovo moose farm makes it possible to se-crete milk as long as up to the sixteenth lactation. Production abilities of the animals become evident by the fifth-sixth lactation; average daily yield is ranging from 1.6 to 4.4 l of milk. Under the duration of lactation period of 79-163 days the total lactation yield amounts to 126-368 l and 256±28.1 l on the average.