Wool and Meat Production of Khangil-type Trans-Baikal Sheep

Abstract

The wool and meat production of Khangil-type fine-fleece sheep within the Trans-Baikal breed has been studied. It is ascertained that 33.5, 59.1, and 7.4% of sheep are assigned to elite, first class, and second class, respectively, according to the rank structure. Liveweights of fine-fleece rams, replacement rams, ewes, and ewe lambs of the Khangil type exceed the breed standard for liveweight by 28.9, 38.7, 30.0, and 18.9%, respectively, and the breed standard for washed-wool clip by 42.6, 24.0, 22.7, and 38.9%, respectively. Analysis of fine wool quality revealed that rams’ wool corresponds to grade 60, while the wool of ewes, ram lambs, and ewe lambs is grade 64. The wool comfort factor of 86.1% was highest in the rams. It was 6.1, 3.1, and 5.4% higher than that in replacement rams, ewes, and ewe lambs, respectively. Coefficients of correlation between the wool fineness and its crimp and between the fineness and the comfort factor were negative in all the sex and age groups. These coefficients were rather high. A positive correlation of mean intensity (r = 0.274–0.652) between the wool fineness and the comfort factor was revealed. The results of slaughtering the fine-fleece ram lambs at the age of 6 months for control purposes indicated their high meat production performance. Thus, slaughter weight, slaughter yield, meat at grade 1, and coefficient of meatiness comprised 16.7 kg, 46.3%, 91.0%, and 3.4, respectively.