Effects of Using Dorper, Hampshire Down, Bluefaced Leicester and German Blackheaded Rams as Terminal Sires in Extensive Low-Input Production Systems
Keywords:
Bluefaced Leicester, Dorper, Hampshire Down, German Blackheaded, sheep, TurcanaAbstract
The current study was conducted to evaluate Dorper, Hampshire Down, Bluefaced Leicester and German Blackheaded breeds as terminal sires in an extensive low-input production system under European temperate conditions, when crossed with native Turcana breed as a maternal genotype. The project breeding herd consisted of 300 multiparous purebred Turcana ewes, managed under extensive low-input production system. Six breeding herds were set-up, with randomly selected ewes (50/group) being exposed to Dorper, Hampshire Down, Bluefaced Leicester, German Blackheaded and Turcana (control group) rams. Lambs birth weight was higher (p≤0.01) in F1 Hampshire Down x Turcana and F1 German Blackheaded x Turcana crossbreds compared to control group. Lamb survival from birth to weaning was the lowest (88.4±3.30%) for the Dorper sired lambs, and the highest (94.0±1.84%) in the Bluefaced Leicester sired lambs (p≤0.01). Hampshire Down and German Blackheaded sired lambs had similar survival rates as the purebreds Turcana lambs (p>0.05). Body weight of lambs at the age of 8 months was significantly higher (p≤0.001) in Dorper (41.3±0.51), Bluefaced Leicester (41.2±0.34) and German Blackheaded (42.4±0.58) sired genotypes, while the Hampshire Down half-breeds (39.3±0.65) had intermediate body weights (p≤0.01) compared to the controls (34.6±0.49).
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