A 3-yr study was conducted to comprehensively evaluate Columbia, Suffolk, USMARC-Composite (Composite), and Texel breeds as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system. The objective was to estimate breed-of-ram effects on ewe fertility, prolificacy, and dystocia, and sire breed effects on lamb survival and growth until weaning at approximately 132 d of age. Data were from 22 Col...

Forty growing ram lambs (Lori-Bakhtiari breed) averaging 28 kg (±1.5) were allocated in this study to evaluate the optimal dietary energy density in a lamb fattening enterprise in Iran. The feed intake (FI), body weight (BW), gain to feed ratio (G:F) and carcass characteristics were studied. Four treatments differed in metabolizable energy content (ME) as follow; 2, 2.3, 2.6 and 2.9 Mcal/kg for...

Zealand, which represents a collection of Perendale breeders who wish to improve the competitive position of their breed. Abstract Within the ram sheep purchase network, personal and industry source of communication are considered the most important. The concept of triads appears to be a simple and operational one but the level of connectivity between organisations makes it difficult to break d...

BACKGROUND: The effect of heat stress on physiologicalparameters has been well documented. However, there arereports of a genetic based heat tolerance in some sheep breeds.OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to monitor thephysiological responses of an Iranian fat-tailed breed againstheat stress and an acute stress insult. METHODS:Atotal numberof 15 fall-born ram lambs were selected and...

information on animal daily forage needs is essential for an estimation of rangeland grazing capacity. accordingly, weight and animal unit equivalent (aue) for each individual class of animal should be determined. live weights of baloochi sheep as based on average live weights of 3 and 4 year old ewes were determined. five herds of baloochi breed sheep were selected for the task. in each herd, ...

Multiparous Suffolk and Suffolk-cross ewes were randomly allotted to treatments within breed and year to measure effects of ram exposure, during transition from anestrus to breeding activity, on reproductive performance. Treatments were: 1) ewes joined with two mature vasectomized Rambouillet rams for 15 d before breeding (DC), 2) ewes maintained across a net wire fence from two vasectomized ra...

Data from Dorper and Rambouillet ram lambs (n = 79) were used to estimate breed means for postweaning growth rate, feed intake, feed conversion efficiency (kilograms of gain divided by kilograms of feed consumed), and residual feed intake on a high concentrate diet during the typical age and weight range for U.S. lamb production. Lambs were progeny of 6 unrelated sires/breed and were born over ...

Article history: Received 28 June 2011 Received in revised form 9 September 2011 Accepted 12 September 2011 A total of 15,645 records of birth weight (BrW), weaning weight (WW) and average daily gain (ADG) from 6055 cows belonging to 2121 different dam lines were analyzed to quantify the contribution of cytoplasmic line (l) effects to phenotypic variance of preweaning growth traits in a sample ...

background: the effect of heat stress on physiologicalparameters has been well documented. however, there arereports of a genetic based heat tolerance in some sheep breeds.objectives: the aim of the present study was to monitor thephysiological responses of an iranian fat-tailed breed againstheat stress and an acute stress insult. methods:atotal numberof 15 fall-born ram lambs were selected and...