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Effects of Substituting Finnsheep and Dorset Breeding for Rambouillet Breeding II. Productivity of Fall-Lambing Ewes¹

Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Stillwater 74074

Abstract

The main effects of increasing Dorset and Finnsheep breeding by at the expense of Rambouillet breeding on ewe productivity traits of crossbred ewes when lambing in the fall of 1974 and 1975 at ages ranging from 2 to 4 years were estimated. Two-hundred-eight crossbred ewes representing four combinations of Finnsheep (F), Dorset (D) and Rambouillet (R) breeding (DR, DR, FDR and FDR) started the study. The comparison of the Dorset ewes with the Dorset ewes estimated the main effect of increasing Dorset breeding by at the expense of Rambouillet breeding ( Dorset effect) and the comparison of the Finnsheep ewes with the 0 Finnsheep ewes estimated the main effect of increasing Finnsheep breeding by at the expense of Rambouillet breeding ( Finnsheep effect).

The Finnsheep effect resulted in little change in ewe breeding weights and a decrease (P<.01) in grease fleece weights both years. The Dorset effect resulted in a decrease (P<.01) in ewe breeding weights and grease fleece weights both years.

The Finnsheep effect on kilograms of lamb weaned per ewe exposed was negative in both 1974 and 1975 (–2.5 kg and –6.4 kg, P<.05; respectively) due largely to a smaller proportion of the Finnsheep ewes lambing than the 0 Finnsheep ewes in both 1974 and 1975 (14.1%, P<.05 and 24.9%, P<.01; respectively). In both years, the Dorset effect resulted in little change in kilograms of lamb weaned per ewe exposed.

¹ Journal article 3367 of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Research was conducted by the Department of Animal Science (Project 1519) in cooperation with the USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Southern Region. Project 1519 is a contributing project to North Central Regional Project 111- Increased Efficiency of Lamb Production.

² Present address: Department of Animal Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331.