J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J. Anim Sci. 1987. 65:692-698.
© 1987 American Society of Animal Science
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Brown, D. L.
Right arrow Articles by Bradford, G. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Brown, D. L.
Right arrow Articles by Bradford, G. E.

Feed Efficiency, Growth Rates, Body Composition, Milk Production and Milk Composition of Targhee Sheep Selected for Increased Weaning Weight

D. L. Brown, M. R. Dally, M. R. Schwartz and G. E. Bradford1

University of California,2, Davis 95616

Abstract

Lactation and growth of three contemporary lines of grade Targhee sheep developed from the same genetic base were characterized by three experiments performed over a period of 2 yr. Two lines (HW and DH) had been selected for 120-d weaning weights for 24 yr prior to beginning these experiments. A third line (C) was a randomly selected control. Year I experiment contrasted 10 DH with 7 C ram lambs fed to 58 kg. Year II experiments utilized 9 C, 14 DH and 10 HW ram lambs and 11 ewes suckling twins from each line. All Year II ram lambs were born and weaned as twins, then fed to 50 kg. Mature DH and HW ewes were heavier (P<.05) than C ewes (65.2 and 68.8 vs 54.9 kg), and the DH and HW lambs grew faster than C lambs both before (P<.05) and after weaning (P<.05). While both DH and HW lambs drank more milk (2,419 and 2,368 vs 2,059 g·d–1 ·pair–1; P<.10) only HW ewes showed a trend towards greater potential milk production than controls (HW = 2,774 vs C = 2,155 g·d–1 ·ewe–1 P<.12). The HW lambs tended to be leaner than C lambs (P<.05), but DH lambs did not differ from either line. Lambs from DH and HW lines required less post-weaning feed (121.9 and 129.3 vs 152.0 kg P<.05) and exhibited 17 and 16% greater weight per day of age at 50 kg than controls (P<.05). The DH line displayed lower feed: gain ratios than controls in both post-weaning trials (6.68 vs 7.30 to 58 kg; 5.83 vs 6.24 at 50 kg; P=.06).

Footnotes

1 The authors thank Scott Taylor, Dana Van Lieu, Dan Sehnert, Bob Scadden, Jana Levin, Dwayne Davis and Jamie Wilson for their help in caring for the sheep and analyzing the various tissues, and Cooper Animal Health Inc. for supplying Nasalgen and Siteguard used during this research.

2 Anim. Sci. Dept.; address reprint requests to D. L. Brown.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1987 by the American Society of Animal Science.