Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of body condition score (BCS) and supplementary feedingon the reproductive performance of Awassi ewes.One hundred sixty Awassi ewes aged 3-5 years (Average live weight 47.41±0.76) were used in acompletely randomized design. Six weeks before mating ewes were screened for their body conditionscore (BCS) and divided into two groups, low BCS (<2.0) and high BCS (>2.0) and ewes in each groupwere subdivided according to BCS and to non-supplemented and supplemented groups (n=40 ewes).Therefore, the four groups were:1. Group (LBCN) = Low Body Condition Non-supplemented.2. Group (LBCS) = Low Body Condition Supplemented.3. Group (HBCN) = High Body Condition Non-supplemented.4. Group (HBCS) = High Body Condition Supplemented.All ewes received ad libitum barley straw, and (350g DM/ewe/day) whole barley grains. The supplementedgroups (groups 2 and 4) were fed Mating Feed Blocks (MFB) ad libitum. Mature fertile Awassi rams(Three rams / group) were run with each group.The results showed that the pre-mating, mating, andpost-mating condition scores and body weights of the non-supplemented Ewes (Groups 1 and 3) aremaintained throughout the trial. Ewes offered supplementary feed the supplemented ewes (Groups 2and 4) gained in body condition score and weights, the differences were not significant. The BCS andweights at mating for supplemented groups are 2.12, 2.64 and 46.11, 53.38 kg for groups 2 and 4respectively. The results showed that the reproductive performance of Awassi ewes improved considerablydue initial BCS and MFB supplementation. The percent of ewes lambed after mating during the first andsecond estrus cycles were significantly (P<0.05) affected by ewes' initial BCS and MFB supplementation.The percent of ewes lambed in first cycle were 50%, 77%, 72.3% and 87% for groups LBCN, LBCS,HBCN and HBCS respectively. Supplementation of low BCS ewes resulted a significant (P<0.05)improvement in conception rate (17.5%) and lambing rate (12%). The results have not shown anysignificant of initial BCS and supplementation on twinning percentage. The percent of barren ewes at endof the trial was higher (20%, P<0.05) in LBCN compared
Highlights
Low productivity seems to be a dominant feature among the majority of the sheep breeds in Iraq and other countries in the region
The results showed that the reproductive performance of Awassi ewes improved considerably due initial body condition score (BCS) and Mating Feed Blocks (MFB) supplementation
The percent of ewes lambed in first cycle were 50%, 77%, 72.3% and 87% for groups LBCN, LBCS, HBCN and HBCS respectively
Summary
Low productivity seems to be a dominant feature among the majority of the sheep breeds in Iraq and other countries in the region. The great seasonality of lambing in the Awassi breed, which is inherently a seasonal in oestrus activity, has always been a strong indication that nutrition has important affects on reproduction in commercial flocks [1,3] Survey of flocks in Near East have shown that lambing percentage of Awassi ewes are rarely above 85% and often as low as 65% This is a major cause of the low productivity of sheep systems in the region. Ewes of good body condition score at mating would have higher lambing and twinning rates This technique is simple, applicable, does not need any tool and could be used by trained farmers. This study was implemented to investigate the effects of BCS at mating, and supplementary feeding on the reproductive performances of Awassi ewes
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