The aim of the present study was to characterize the fatty acids profile and the related health lipid indices of goat`s milk from different Bulgarian breeds in order to add information on its nutritional quality. The study was performed with goat milk from a private farm in the Stara Planina Mountain. Milk samples were collected from three breeds – Bulgarian White Dairy Goat, Toggenburg and local goats. The content of saturated fatty acids was the highest in the milk of the local breed – 83.6% compared to for Bulgarian White Dairy Goat - 75.4% and Toggenburg - 75.2%. The atherogenic index was calculated on the obtained values for lauric (C12:0), myristic (C14:0) and palmitic (C16:0) acids and the unsaturated fatty acids. The data for the Bulgarian White Dairy Goat was – 3.12; Toggenburg – 3.14 and for local breed – 5.54. The values of the atherogenic index showed that it is the lowest for the Toggenburg, following Bulgarian White Dairy Goat and local breed. Omega 6/Omega 3 ratio varies from 1.58 for local breed to 2.44 for Toggenburg which is within the range of the optimal values for healthy nutrition.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the revenues and production costs of a dairy sheep farm to optimize the number of livestock.Statistical methods, comparative analysis are used.The results obtained show that the optimum number of sheep on the farm should be 500. The performed analysis about the activities of dairy Bulgarian Synthetic Dairy Population sheep farm, allowed concluding that: Over the three years of the analysed period, revenues from sales of milk had the greatest share in total revenues of the farm (45-52 %). In fact this confirmed the profile of the farm as dairy farm. The percentage of meat varied within a narrow range with lamb meat occupying the greatest share of meat revenues (26 -29 %). The participation of other types of meat in farm's revenues was minor. The share of wool as element of revenues was insignificant over the 3-yar period. Wool production was rather a concomitant production therefore serious revenues from wool are not expected as at the time of the study, there is no market demand for this product. Among variable costs, the feed costs proportion was the greatest (40 -44 %). Then followed labour, insurances and fuel costs. It should be mentioned that during the last year of the analysed period, costs for purchase of shearing machine and sharpening device are planned. Permanent costs did not change in 2016-2018. The share of depreciation costs from total costs was approximately 3 %.

A comparative analysis of amino acid composition of lamb meat from the North East Bulgarian fine fleece breed (I gr.) and its crossbreds from internal breeding with 25% heredity from the Australian merino (II gr.) and Ile de France (III gr.) breeds was conducted. Upon starting the experiment lambs were equal and during the experiment they were placed under similar conditions of feeding and rearing. To establish the amino acid composition of meat slaughter analyses were performed at 100 and 130 days of age. From the carcass of each slaughtered animal individual mean samples were taken. Studies were carried out in the Research Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture at Trakia University. As a result of the studies the following conclusions were made: ¼ Ile de France crossbreds in a sophisticated crossing have the highest total amino acid content, including essential amino acids in the meat of 100-and 130-day-old lambs, 6.87% and 7.36%, respectively. The lysine/arginine ratio, relating to protein atherogenicity, varies within narrow ranges among groups and marks slight increase with age-from 1.31-1.37 at 100 days to 1.41-1.46 at 130 days. With the increase of age in crossbreds from internal breeding total protein amino acid content grows, that being most prominent in lambs from the III group-from 41.92 to 43.49%. The values of total protein indices increase compared to the reference protein (from 117.97% to 118.22% for II group and from 116.44% to 120.80% for III group) and the whole egg protein (from 89.39% to 91.92% for II group and from 90.53% to 93.93 for III group). It has been found that internal breeding of crossbreds with 25% heredity from the Ile de France breed has positive effect concerning the total amino acid content of lamb meat at 100 and 130 days of age, essential amino acid content in it and the levels of total amino acid indices. Internal breeding of crossbreds with 25% heredity from the Australian merino breed does not have an adverse effect on the levels of the studied traits.

Abstract. The aim of this study was to determine the quality and quantity of the wool yolk of the rams from Caucasian merino breed in order to improve their technological features. The analyses included seven rams and eleven rams at the age of 18 months. Thirty-six individual wool samples from two parts of the body (side and thigh) were studied. The following wool parameters were investigated: percentage of the dirty areas of the wool (on the side and the thigh), fat amount, sweat amount, pH of sweat, laboratory wool yield, and color of greasy wool on the side. Percentage of the dirty areas of the wool by categories and topographic ranges varied from 30.79% to 41.52%, indicating that the wool yolk of Caucasian rams was of sufficient quantity and good quality. The percentage of the fats in wool yolk to the greasy wool was relatively high (23.25% in the rams at the age of 18 months and 25% in the rams) and had a negative impact on the wool yield. The ratio of fat/sweat was 1.91:1 in rams and 1.44:1 in rams at the age of 18 months). The higher relative part of the fat compared to the sweat was an indicator of good protective properties of the wool yolk. That allowed to protect the technological properties of the wool.

Аbstract. The aim of the present study was to perform a comparative evaluation of technological traits of industrial batches of Bulgarian and imported semifine wool. The study was carried out in an industrial setting in cooperation with Kolhida Ltd, Sliven. A total of 18 batches originating from Bulgaria (n=10), Serbia (n=6) and the Netherlands (n=2) among which 4 batches of greasy wool, 7 batches of clean wool and 7 batches of wool sliver were studied. The primary processing of wool batches comprising classification, washing and carding was performed by textile enterprise’s standard technology. After the classification, the relative shares of wool types from the total amount of greasy wool in a batch were determined. The washing yield of classified greasy medium wool was calculated. The following laboratory analyses of clean wool were carried out: fibre diameter (μm), mean weighted length (mm), short fibre percentage (%), fatness (%), mineral matter content (dustiness %), vegetable matter content (%) and moisture (%). For slivers, sliver yield (%), fibre diameter (measured with OFDI), mean weighted length (mm), length В (mm), short fibre percentage (%) and moisture (%) were determined. In Bulgarian and Serbian batches, high-grade wool types predominated with highest share of the merino worsted wool (70.54% and 63.70%; 60.66% and 46.64%, respectively). The highest industrial washing yield was that of Dutch wool – 63.89%. Yields of Serbian and Bulgarian batches were similar (53.73%-56.39% and 53.20%-55.89%, respectively). The highest mean weighted length of fibres was determined for Dutch wool – 74.87 mm. Serbian and Bulgarian batches were comparable with respect to this trait: 63.95-65.71 mm and 62.92-65.88 mm respectively. The vegetable matter in studied wool batches was higher than requirements of the standard – from 1.29% tо 2.24% vs the reference of 1.2%. The highest vegetable matter content was found in the wool from two Bulgarian batches (1.65% and 2.24%), one Serbian (1.82%), and the Dutch batch (1.92%). Sliver yield varied from 81.31% tо 86.91% in studied wool slivers. The highest values of this trait were found out in 3 Bulgarian wool slivers (86.91%; 85.79% and 84.48%) and the Dutch sliver (84.13%).