THE EFFECTS OF SOME ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING ON THE GROWTH AND GREASY FLEECE YIELD AT FIRST SHEARING OF TURKISH MERINO (KARACABEY MERINO) LAMBS

Abstract

Abstract This study was carried out to determine the production levels of Turkish Merino (Karacabey Merino) lambs for birth weight, weight at weaning and at first year of age and greasy fleece weight at first shearing and to investigate the effects of the measurable environmental factors affecting on these characteristics. The birth weight was 4.83 kg, weight at 90 lh day of age was 32.14 kg, weight at first year of age was 57.59 kg and greasy fleece weight at first shearing was 6.36 kg for Turkish Merino lambs. The effects of birth year, dam's age. birth type and sex on birth weight, weight at weaning (90 lh day) and at first year of age and the greasy fleece weight at first shearing were found to be statistically significant. Also the interactions of year x dam's age and year x dam's age x birth type on birth weight; year x dam's age x birth type on weight at weaning; year x dam's age and year x sex on weight at first year of age and year x dam's age and year x sex on greasy fleece weight were found to be affecting significantly. By taking the effect shares of the factors affecting on these characteristics into consideration the production data of the lambs can be corrected and so the effectiveness of the different selection methods, which will be applied in the forthcoming years in the institute on Turkish Merino, might be improved. Keywords: Turkish Merino lambs, growth, greasy fleece yield at first shearing, environmental factors. TURK MERINOSLARINDA (KARACABEY MERINOSU) BUYUME VE ILK KIRKIM YAPAĞI VERIMINI ETKILEYEN BAZI CEVRESEL FAKTORLER UZERINDE ARASTIRMALAR Ozet Bu arastirma, Turk Merinoslarinin (Karacabey Merinosu) dogum, sutten kesim, 1 yas canli agirligi ve ilk kirkimda elde edilen kirli yapagi agirligi ozelliklerinin duzeyinin belirlenmesi ve bu verim ozellikleri uzerindeki bazi cevresel etkilerin kantitatif olarak saptanmasi amaciyla yapilmistir. Turk Merinosu kuzularin dogum agirligi ortalamasi 4.83 kg. 90. gun canli agirligi 32.14 kg, 1 yas canli agirligi 57.59 kg ve ilk kirkim kirli yapagi agirligi 6.36 kg olarak tespit edilmistir. Dogum yilinin, ana yasinin, dogum tipinin ve cinsiyetin kuzularin dogum, sutten kesim (90. gun), 1 yas canli agirligi ve ilk kirkimdaki kirli yapagi agirligina etkileri istatistiki acidan onemli bulunmustur. Ayrica dogum agirliginda (yil x ana yasi) ve (yil x ana yasi x dogum tipi), sutten kesim agirliginda (yil x ana yasi x dogum tipi), 1 yas canli agirliginda (yil x ana yasi) ve (yil x cinsiyet), kirli yapagi agirliginda (yil x ana yasi) ve (yil x cinsiyet) interaksiyonlarinin onemli duzeyde etkili oldugu saptanmistir. Bu arastirmada tespit edilen etki paylan dikkate alinarak, kuzularin verim degerleri duzeltilebilir ve ileriki yillarda yapilacak farkli seleksiyon yontemlerinin etkinligi artirilabilir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Turk Merinosu kuzu, buyume, ilk kirkim yapagi verimi, cevresel faktorler.