Milk production, body weight and body condition score time-series during lactation in dairy goats: experimental data from two French herds and model-based fitted curves_datasets

We collected data from routine measurements in two French experimental farms (MoSAR experimental farm in Yvelines department) and Le Pradel experimental farm in Ardeche department). At MoSAR farm, milk yield (MY) was recorded at each milking using an automatic device designed for milk recording in small ruminants developed by INRAE (European patent no. 94916284.6). Body weight (BW) was measured twice a day at each milking with a walk-over weigher in the milking parlour . Daily BW was the average of the two measures (after exclusion of outliers greater than + 25% of previous BW). Body condition score (BCS) data were obtained for each individual by manual measures at lumbar and sternal regions on a 0 to 5 scale (Morand-Fehr & Hervieu, 1999). At Le Pradel experimental farm, MY was individually recorded with the national performance control method and BW was individually recorded with a standard scale. For body condition score (BCS) measures, data were individually evaluated at lumbar and sternal regions on a 0 to 5 scale (Morand-Fehr & Hervieu, 1999).