Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T04:15:23.074Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Estimates of combining abilities and maternal influence in crosses between Merino, Ossimi and Barki sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

E. Salah E. Galal ,
A. Aboul-Naga ,
E. A. Eltawil  and
E. S. Khishin
E. Salah E. Galal
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture and Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
A. Aboul-Naga
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture and Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
E. A. Eltawil
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture and Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
E. S. Khishin
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture and Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Get access

Summary

A total of 523 lambing records were used to study general combining ability (g.c.a.), maternal ability and specific combining ability (s.c.a.) for three breeds of sheep, the native Ossimi and Barki and the Fleisch Merino. All possible combinations along with the pure breeds were represented. Traits studied were: birth, weaning (4-months) and yearling body weights; lamb survival at weaning; fleece weight and staple length.

Ossimi showed the highest g.c.a. estimates for all traits except birth weight and fleece weight where Merino was the best, and survival where Barki was the best. Barki showed the worst g.c.a. in all traits except survival and staple length for which Merino had the lowest estimates.

Barki exhibited the best maternal ability in weaning and yearling body weights and lamb survival, while Ossimi was best in the other traits. Merino was consistently worst in maternal ability. The two native breeds interacted more favourably with each other than with Merino in lamb production traits. Among the purebred lambs, the Ossimis performed the best in all traits except fleece weight where they were excelled by the Merinos. It was concluded that for marketing weights (i.e. weaning and yearling) and especially when viewed with respect to survival, the Ossimi × Barki cross offers the highest production; while for fleece weight the Merino × Ossimi is the best.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , August 1972 , pp. 47 - 52
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1972

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Holtman, W. B. and Bernard, C. 1969. Effect of general combining ability of Oxford, Suffolk and North Country Cheviot breeds of sheep on growth performance of lambs. J. Aram. Sci. 28: 155–161.Google Scholar
Karam, H. A. and Abdelrahman, A. 1968. The Sheep. Dar Almaref, Alexandria, Egypt. (In Arabic.)Google Scholar
Schilling, P. E. 1967. Estimation of general and specific combining abilities from a diallel cross of three inbred lines of Suffolk sheep. Diss. Abstr. 27: 3789b.Google Scholar
Turner, Helen N. and Young, S. S. Y. 1969. Quantitative Genetics in Sheep Breeding. MacMillan, Australia.Google Scholar