Short-term oxytocin treatment increases bovine milk yield by enhancing milk removal without any direct action on mammary metabolism

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Abstract
The milk yield-enhancing effect of oxytocin administered either before or after milking was examined using a within-animal model. Eight cows in mid-lactation were changed from normal twice daily milking to a split-milking design, whereby half of the udder was milked at 0500 and 1500 h (control half; normal milking times), and the other half at 0800 and 1800 h (test half). This continued for 3 weeks. During the second week, oxytocin was administered as an i.m. injection immediately before the 0800 and 1800 h milkings. The test half was thus milked immediately after oxytocin administration, whilst the control half was milked 3 h before oxytocin. Milk yield decreased slightly on the adoption of split-milking. The decrease did not differ between udder halves and was not, therefore, due to inadequate milk-ejection in the test half compared with the control. During the week of oxytocin treatment, the yield decreased further in the control half but increased in the test half; consequently, the yield from the test half was significantly greater than that from the control half (PP=0·002). Analysis of variance demonstrated a significant (PJournal of Endocrinology (1994) 142, 471–473

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