Comparative Study Regarding Body Development in Turcana and F1 German Blackheaded x Turcana Yearling Ewes
Keywords:
crossbreeding, German Blackheaded, meat production, sheep, Turcana, wool traitsAbstract
Researches were carried out in a commercial sheep farm from Arad County, situated in western Romania. Yearling ewes, with their age ranging from 12 to 13 months were included in the trial. Two genotypes were considered, purebred indigenous Turcana (TA, n = 18) and F1 German Blackheaded x Turcana (GBT, n = 33) crossbreeds. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects that crossbreeding local Turcana sheep with the meat specialized German Blackheaded breed have on the body development of yearling ewes and their wool production traits. Results have shown that the GBT crossbreed gimmers had a significantly (p≤0.001) higher body weight, of 53.8 kg when compared with the TA purebreds, which had on average 45.0 kg. Wool production was significantly higher (p≤0.001) in TA yearling ewes when compared to their counterparts, while the length of the wool-staple was not influenced by genotype related factors (p>0.05). Results of the current study outlined that the GBT yearling ewes are more precocious when body weight is concerned, and this could lead to their introduction to reproduction starting with 12 months of age.
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