Impact of Mating of Youth Tsigai on Reproductives Indices and Body Weight at Adult Age
Keywords:
female, fertility, lambs, prolificacy, survival rateAbstract
The impact of age and body weight on reproductive indices was studied in 43 Tsigai sheep - rusty variety over four lambing seasons. At the time of the 1st mating, the sheep had an average body weight of 40.66 kg, which increased to 52.08 kg by the 1st lambing season, at an average age of 13.80 months (1.15 years). By the 4th reproduction season, the average body weight was 45.56 kg at mating, and 48.21 kg at lambing respectively, with the sheep age being 48.71 months (4.06 years). The study found that fertility indices were unaffected by age or body weight, as the fertility rate remained constant at 81.40% across both the 1st, and 4th seasons, but were affected by the feeding system in the 2nd season. The highest prolificacy (117.14%) was observed in the 4th lambing season, while the highest lamb survival rate (94.74%) occurred in the 3rd lambing season, compared to a lower survival rate (82.35%) in the 1st lambing season, where the mortality rate was the highest, 17.35% respectively.
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