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Title: LITTER TRAITS AND GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS FOR LAMBS FROM RAMBOUILLET, ROMANOV-RAMBOUILLET, AND DORSET-RAMBOUILLET EWES

Author
item BUCHANAN, D - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item FITCH, G - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item ERAT, S - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Phillips, William

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Ramouillet, Romanov-Rambouillet and Dorset-Rambouillet ewes (n=178, 217 and 208, respectively) were compared for use as dams of crossbred lambs. Ewes were mated to Suffolk or Hampshire rams and lambs were born during a fall lambing season during three consecutive years. Ewes were maintained on wheat pasture with minimal supplementation from lambing to weaning. Lambs were offered a creep ration and were weaned at approximately 90 days. Litter size and litter weight at birth and weaning, and lamb birth and 90-day weight were analyzed with a model that included ewe breed, year, age of dam and all two-way interactions. Sex and appropriate interactions were included for birth weight and 90-day weight. Ewe breed means (Rambouillet, Romanov-Rambouillet and Dorset-Rambouillet) were: litter size at birth (1.28, 1.56, 1.64 lambs), litter size at weaning (1.15, 1.43, 1.39 lambs), litter weight at birth (6.21, 6.46, 7.45 kg), litter weight at weaning (36.3, 38.0, 41.0 kg), lamb birth weight (4.84, 4.00, 4.65 kg) and lamb 90 day weight (28.3, 25.6, 28.9 kg). There were significant (P<.05) differences between ewe breeds for litter size at birth and weaning (Rambouillet vs Romanov-Rambouillet and Dorset-Rambouillet), litter weight at birth and weaning (Dorset-Rambouillet vs Rambouillet), birth weight (Rambouillet vs Romanov-Rambouillet) and 90-day weight (Romanov-Rambouillet vs Dorset-Rambouillet and Rambouillet). These results show an advantage for crossbred ewes for prolificacy but a disadvantage in weight at 90 days for the lambs from the Romanov-Rambouillet ewes.