A field trial of Finnish Landrace rams as sires of crossbred ewes

Abstract

SUMMARYThe relative performances of crossbred ewes sired by Finnish Landrace or by non-Finnish rams were measured in trials at 18 farms which yielded a total of about 2600 ewe lambing records. The dams of the crossbred ewes were Hill breeds (40%), Upland (22%), Long-wool x Hill (20%) and other breed types (18%). The non-Finnish sires were Longwool breeds (35 %), Down and Down crosses (33 %), Upland (22%) and other breeds (10%).Finnish crossbred ewes were lighter at mating than the average of non-Finnish crossbreds by 10% at 7 months, increasing to 24% at 31 and 43 months, with an average difference of 18% for the first 4 years of life. Over the same period of 4 years Finnish crossbreds had a 27 % higher lambing percentage and 21 % higher weaning percentage than non-Finnish crossbreds.Lambs born to Finnish crossbreds were, over the 4-year period, 16% lighter for singles and 20 % lighter for multiples at birth, and 11 % for single born and 12% for multiple born at 10 weeks, than those born to non-Finnish crossbreds. But the total litter weight of lamb reared to 10 weeks per 50-kg metabolic ewe weight (at mating) was 16% more for Finnish crossbreds than for non-Finnish crossbreds.