Final answer:
Yes, sheep do feed milk to their young, similar to other mammals. The milk changes composition during a feeding, starting as foremilk to quench thirst, and evolving into hindmilk, rich in fat, to satisfy the lamb's appetite.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, sheep do feed milk to their young. This is a common process among mammals, including both humans and animals like sheep and goats. This process is initiated by the suckling of the young animal which triggers the release of oxytocin in the mother. The oxytocin stimulates myoepithelial cells to squeeze milk from alveoli. This milk then drains toward the nipple pores to be consumed by the lamb.
The milk produced by sheep for their young in the first postpartum days is known as colostrum. This milk provides immunoglobulins that increase the lamb's immune defenses. Following the colostrum, the ewe produces transitional milk, and then mature breast milk that are suited to each stage of the newborn's development.
The milk changes from the beginning to the end of a feeding. The early milk, known as foremilk, quenches the lamb's thirst and the latter portion of the feeding, called hindmilk, satisfies the lamb's appetite because it is richer in fat.
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