INFLUENCE OF EARLY MATING ON THE EXTERIOR FEATURES OF MEAT WOOL SHEEP

Abstract

The authors presented a study on the age influence of the first mating on the ewe’s exterior of the Katun type of the Gorno-Altai breed sheep. Two groups of first-calving ewes were formed at different ages: group 1 at 12 months and group 2 at 24 months. The authors evaluated the exterior of the ewes by taking measurements. The mothers with lambs are on year-round pasture, lambing took place in May, and the authors carried out the weaning of lambs at four months. Sheep one year old and mature early have well-developed solid bones and excellent latitudinal and volumetric measurements. They are slightly inferior to those at two years of age, but the difference is not significant. The data obtained from udder studies of the udders of the studied groups show that udders of older female ewes are better developed, but the difference is unreliable. Young ewe-sheep at 12 months of age are inferior to two-year-old sows in stretching and bunching. The best development in this group was the extended leg and thoracic indexes. The bone index was about the same in all groups. Young animals obtained from ewes at the age of two years are superior to lambs from younger mothers in live weight in all periods of growth. The live weight of young animals at weaning at four months was 8.2% more (P>0.95). This trend continued at six months of age, amounting to 2.8 kg. Thus, when using the broodmares in reproduction at an early age, selecting well-developed broodmares with a live weight of 38 kg or more, and providing them with optimal feeding and housing conditions, it is possible to conduct mating in the year of their birth. The mating of yarks in the year of birth will reduce maintenance costs, increase their economic life, and shorten the interval between generations, contributing to a better rate of herd genetic improvement.