Evaluation of goat milk and cheese qualities and the influence of the livestock production system in the Mediterranean

The herds of dairy goats using marginal areas of the FrenchMediterranean region have a double objective: milk production andmaintenance of the natural environment in areas prone to fires. Theassociation of rearing techniques adapted to the conservation of thenatural environment and to quality milk production is a key factor inthe survival of the systems. In the Eastern Pyrenees, milk quality intwo goat systems is studied.A rangeland-based system: situated at the piedemont of the AlberesMassif, the site integrates a cork oak grove with a maquis-type cover ofErica arborea. The herd grazes in the maquis and also feed on hay andconcentrate.A system based on forage: situated on the plains, the herd is fed in thestable.The first results of the rangeland system show a large evolution of thebutyric acid levels and and inversion of these levels in the summer.Judging from the selection made by the goats, the supply of nutrients onthe rangeland is less rich in fibre than the composition of shrubs wouldlead us to think.