The Growth and Survival Characteristics of Lambs Produced by Commercial Crossbreeding Kıvırcık Ewes with F2 Rams with the German Black-Headed Mutton Genotype

Authors : Bülent EKİZ, Ahmet ALTINEL

Pages : 507-512

View : 9 | Download : 5

Publication Date : 0000-00-00

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study was conducted to compare the growth and survival characteristics of crossbred lambs produced by mating Kıvırcık ewes with German Black-Headed Mutton insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(GBM); x Kıvırcık insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(F2); rams, GBM x Merino insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(F2); rams, as well as the growth and survival characteristics of purebred Kıvırcık lambs. The data were obtained from 59 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(GBM x Kıvırcık); x Kıvırcık, 59 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(GBM x Merino); x Kıvırcık, and 60 purebred Kıvırcık lambs. The birth weights of insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(GBM x Kıvırcık); x Kıvırcık, insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(GBM x Merino); x Kıvırcık, and purebred Kıvırcık lambs were 4.08, 4.32, and 3.85 kg, respectively. The differences of birth weight between the genotype groups were statistically significant insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P < 0.001);. The weaning weights of these groups were 19.33, 19.38, and 17.58 kg, respectively. The difference in weaning weights between the crossbred genotypes was not significant insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P > 0.05);, whereas the differences between the crossbred lambs and the purebred Kıvırcık lambs were significant insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(P < 0.05);. The effects of genotype, birth type, sex, and age of dam on the growth of lambs were investigated. All these effects, except age of dam, were significant. Among the genotypes, 88.13%, 91.53%, and 90.00% of the lambs survived to be weaned, respectively. The results of this study showed that crossbred lambs produced by the use of F2 rams, which carry the GBM genotype, had higher growth performance than purebred Kıvırcık lambs, although they had similar survival rates.
Keywords : Sheep, crossbreeding, growth, survival rate