The Value of Oxytocin for Reducing Fluctuations in Milk and Fat Yield

Abstract

There is considerable daily variation in milk and fat production of dairy cows, even when as many as possible of the known causes are eliminated. This variation complicates the interpretation of experimental observations when the results are measured in milk yield or fat percentage. A factor which may contribute substantially to this variability is incomplete removal of the milk from the udder (3). Oxytocin, a hormone elaborated in the posterior pituitary, has been shown to effect a uniformly complete let-down of milk, even under adverse conditions