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A comparison of sires of Suffolk and Dutch Texel breeds and ewes of Greyface, Suffolk Cheviot and Dutch Texel breeds in terms of food intake, prolificacy and lamb growth rates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

S. D. Johnston ,
R. W. J. Steen ,
D. J. Kilpatrick ,
D. E. Lowe  and
D. M. B. Chestnutt
S. D. Johnston*
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR The Queen’s University of Belfast BT9 5PX
R. W. J. Steen
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Newforge Lane, Belfast The Queen’s University of Belfast BT9 5PX
D. J. Kilpatrick
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Newforge Lane, Belfast The Queen’s University of Belfast BT9 5PX
D. E. Lowe*
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR
D. M. B. Chestnutt
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Newforge Lane, Belfast The Queen’s University of Belfast BT9 5PX
*
† Present address: Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, 18 The Square, Ballyclare, Co. Antrim BT39 9BB.
‡Corrrsponding author.
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Abstract

A comparison was made over 2 years of sires of Suffolk and Dutch Texel breeds and ewes of Greyface (Border Leicester × Scottish Blackface), Suffolk Cheviot and Dutch Texel breeds in terms of food intake, prolificacy and lamb growth rates under a grass-based system of production. Suffolk Cheviot ewes consumed significantly more silage dry matter than the Greyface ewes in both years of the study. There was no overall difference between Greyface and Suffolk Cheviot ewes in terms of prolificacy. However lambs from Suffolk Cheviot ewes had a higher growth rate than lambs from Greyface ewes from birth to weaning in year 1 (P < 0·01). In the comparison of the three ewe breeds sired by Dutch Texel rams in year 2, Dutch Texel ewes produced a similar number of lambs to the other genotypes but had a higher incidence of difficult lambings, higher lamb mortality and consequently a lower number of lambs weaned. Purebred Dutch Texel male lambs had lower growth rates than crossbred Dutch Texel lambs (143 compared with 158 glday for lambs from Greyface ewes and 166 (s.e. 13.4) glday for lambs from Suffolk Cheviot ewes in year 1 and 183 compared with 251 and 248 respectively (s.e. 10.9) glday in year 2). Lambs sired by Suffolk rams had higher growth rates than those sired by Dutch Texel rams (252 compared with 224 (s.e. 5.4) glday) in year 2.

Keywords

genotypesgrowthprolificacysheep
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 68 , Issue 4 , June 1999 , pp. 567 - 575
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

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