Effect of crossing indigenous Awassi sheep breed with mutton and prolific sire breeds on growth performance of lambs in subtropical region (original) (raw)

Czech Journal of Animal Science

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of crossing on body weight and growth ability of lambs from birth to weaning, including the effect of litter size, sex, dam age, dam weight at mating, dam weight after lambing and year of rearing. e study was conducted on the Awassi sheep flock and their crossbreds with Charollais and Romanov breeds maintained at the Agriculture Centre for Research and Production at Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid. In 1999 and 2000 the live weight was determined in 192 lambs (70 Awassi, 63 Awassi × Charollais F1 crossbred and 59 Awassi × Romanov F1 crossbred) at birth and subsequently every fortnight until weaning by weighing on digital scales to the nearest 0.1 kg. Average live weight of lambs at birth was 4.20 ± 1.15 kg and at the age of 15, 30, 45 and 60 days 8.72 ± 2.12 kg, 12.12 ± 2.77 kg, 15.50 ± 3.70 kg and 19.27 ± 4.59 kg, respectively. ADG of lambs from birth until weaning was 248 ± 0.07 g. Genotype of lambs and litt...