J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1983. 56:309-315.
© 1983 American Society of Animal Science
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Estimation of Repeatability, Heritability and Breed Differences for Lamb Production1,2,

Stephen E. Clarke3 and William D. Hohenboken3

Oregon State University, Corvallis 97331

Abstract

Production records of crossbred ewes, including weight at mating (WTM), fertility (FRT), number of lambs born per ewe lambing (BRN), number of lambs weaned (WEN), litter weight in April (WTA) and litter weight at weaning (WTW), were analyzed for the estimation of breed differences, genotype x environment interactions and repeatability and heritability of ewe production. All ewes were from Suffolk- or Columbia-type dams. Breed of sire of ewe was Finnsheep, Dorset, North Country Cheviot or Romney, Suffolk-cross (SX) ewes were heavier at mating than Columbia-cross (CX) ewes. Cheviot-cross (NX) and Finnsheep-cross (FX) ewes were the most fertile on hill pastures, while Dorset-cross (DX) ewes were the most fertile on irrigated pastures. The FX ewes had larger litters at birth and at weaning. Columbia-cross ewes had larger litters than SX ewes on hill pastures, but the SX ewes had larger litters than CX ewes on irrigated pastures. Finnsheep-cross ewes on both types of pastures and DX ewes on irrigated pastures had heavier litter weights than NX or Romney-cross ewes at weaning. Repeatability estimates for WTM, FRT, BRN, WEN, WTA and WTW were .61, .15, .19, .08, .07 and .09, respectively. Heritabilities, from the sire-of-ewe component, were .40, .02, .12, .0, -.02 and -.05 for WTM, FRT, BRN, WEN, WTA and WTW, respectively.

Footnotes

1 Technical Paper No. 5775, Oregon Agr. Exp. Sta. Contribution to North-Central Regional Project NC-111, Increased Efficiency of Lamb Production.

2 The authors wish to thank Dr. D. R. Notter for suggestions on the manuscript and Dr. W. R. Harvey for assistance in statistical analyses.

3 Dept. of Anim. Sci.






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Copyright © 1983 by the American Society of Animal Science.