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Crossbred sheep production. III. Selection for growth rate and carcass attributes in the second-cross lamb

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

Maurice Bichard  and
B. C. Yalçin
Maurice Bichard
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
B. C. Yalçin
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
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Extract

Results have been presented from a small scale investigation into operational and theoretical aspects of progeny testing Down rams as sires of crossbred fat lambs. Twenty-six Suffolk rams were evaluated from the growth records of 922 lambs out of Border Leicester × Cheviot ewes. In addition measurements were recorded on 260 carcasses. Significant differences were found between corrected progeny means, which were equivalent t o heritabilities of between 0·03 and 0·13 for live-weights up to 15 weeks, and o t higher values for skeletal measurements.

A scheme for the selection of Down rams was considered which involved measuring the individual performance of all ram lambs and then progeny testing the best of these by measuring a fixed total number of crossbred lambs. It was concluded that the proportion to be progeny tested could be varied within quite wide limits without seriously changing the genetic merit of the selected group.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , June 1964 , pp. 179 - 187
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1964

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