Breeding Australian crossbred ewes with Arabian fat-tailed rams for intensive lamb production

Abstract

The reproductive performance under intensive management of Border Leicester x Merino (BLM), Dorset x Merino (DM), and Suffolk x Merino (SM) ewes imported from Australia, and local fat-tailed Naeemi (N) ewes mated to N rams was studied. Progeny performance for birth and weaning weights, average daily gain (ADG) and preweaning survival was also evaluated. BLM ewes showed the highest reproductive performance. They produced and weaned (at 8 weeks) significantly more lambs (P<0.05) than any of the other ewe genotypes. The reproductive performance of the BLM, N, DM and SM ewes, mated twice, 8 months apart, was 127, 85, 91 and 85 respectively for percentage of lambs born to ewes joined, 109, 72, 77 and 70 respectively for percentage of lambs weaned to ewes joined, and 17.8, 13.5, 12.1 and 11.6 kg respectively of lamb weaned per ewe joined over the period of 13 months from the first joining until last lambs weaned. The effect of season on ewe reproduction was significant. Birth weight was not influenced by genotype or season but did change significantly with litter size. Genetic group, litter size, season of birth and birth weight were significant sources of variation in the ADG and weaning weight of the lamb. N x BLM lambs were weaned at significantly heavier weights than lambs of the remaining 3 groups. Season of birth and birth weight also significantly affected preweaning lamb survival. About 86% of the lambs born alive were weaned with little difference between genetic groups in survival rates.