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


     

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 HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Young, L. D.
Right arrow Articles by Dickerson, G. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Young, L. D.
Right arrow Articles by Dickerson, G. E.

Journal of Animal Science, Vol 69, Issue 5 1899-1911, Copyright © 1991 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Comparison of Booroola Merino and Finnsheep: effects on productivity of mates and performance of crossbred lambs

L. D. Young and G. E. Dickerson
U.S. Department of Agriculture, ARS, Clay Center, NE 68933.

Booroola Merino (BM) and Finnsheep (FS) rams were mated to FS and crossbred (CO) ewes to compare their effects on the productivity of their mates and the performance of their progeny. Effects of breed of ram and the interaction of breed of ram X breed of ewe were no significant for fertility, total number born, number born alive, litter birth weight, or number of lambs weaned by the ewe or in the nursery. Birth weights of FS- and BM-sired lambs were equal, but FS-sired lambs were heavier at weaning and 147 d of age. Compared with BM-sired lambs, survival from birth to weaning of dam-reared lambs was greater for FS-sired lambs produced by CO dams than for FS-sired lambs produced by FS dams. At a constant live weight, FS-sired lambs had a heavier carcass with less external fat thickness than BM-sired lambs. Percentage of ewe lambs reaching puberty was lowest and age at puberty was highest for the BM X CO cross; relatively small differences existed between the other three genotypes for these traits. Ewe lambs sired by BM had a greater ovulation rate than FS-sired ewe lambs. Embryo mortality was greater in BM X CO ewe lambs than in ewe lambs of the other three genotypes; the difference was larger for ewes with three ovulations than for ewes with two ovulations. The net result was that BM X CO ewe lambs averaged slightly fewer lambs born than FS X CO ewes. The BM X FS ewe lambs had larger litters than the FS ewes due to a substantially higher ovulation rate and only a slightly lower overall embryo survival rate. With the exception of ovulation rate and litter size, FS rams produced lambs with a more desirable level of performance than did BM rams.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J ANIM SCIHome page
R. A. Afolayan, N. M. Fogarty, A. R. Gilmour, V. M. Ingham, G. M. Gaunt, and L. J. Cummins
Reproductive performance and genetic parameters in first cross ewes from different maternal genotypes
J Anim Sci, April 1, 2008; 86(4): 804 - 814.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1991 by the American Society of Animal Science.