Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T16:48:41.889Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Estimation of the mature weight of three breeds of Greek sheep using condition scoring corrected for the effect of age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

D. Zygoyiannis ,
C. Stamataris ,
N. C. Friggens ,
J. M. Doney  and
G. C. Emmans
D. Zygoyiannis
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University, 54006 Thessaloniki, Greece
C. Stamataris
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University, 54006 Thessaloniki, Greece
N. C. Friggens
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
J. M. Doney
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University, 54006 Thessaloniki, Greece
G. C. Emmans
Affiliation:
Scottish Agricultural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influences of age and condition score on the live weight of ewes of three Greek dairy breeds. Boutsko (no. = 225), Serres (no. = 292) and Karagouniko (no. = 301) ewes from individually recorded purebred flocks were weighed (±0·5 kg) and condition scored, on a six-point scale, to the nearest 0·5 unit. Within each breed and age group the relationship between live weight and condition score was derived by linear regression. There was a highly significant relationship between condition score and live weight in all of the groups (P < 0·01). Live weight, adjusted to a standard condition score, increased with increasing age up to 3·5 years; beyond this age there was no effect of age on condition score. The live weight and condition score data for ages 3·5 years and upwards were used to derive a single regression between live weight and condition score for each breed. This provides a means to estimate adult live weights standardized to a given condition score. The values of the regression coefficients were directly proportional to the breed mature weight; on average the increase in live weight associated with a unit of condition score was 0·129 kg/kg of mature weight for the three breeds studied. Mature weight was estimated as the weight at a condition score of 5. Using published information, a similar value was found to apply to a wide range of sheep breeds and also to cattle. This robust value permits the live-weight change associated with a unit of condition score to be calculated, for any breed.

Keywords

body conditionlive weightsheep breeds
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 64 , Issue 1 , February 1997 , pp. 147 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1997

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

Blaxter, K. L., Fowler, V. R. and Gill, J. C. 1982. A study of the growth of sheep to maturity. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 98:405–420.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
European Commission. 1992. Community scale for the classification of carcasses of ovine animals. EEC council regulation no. 2137/92. European Commission, Brussels.Google Scholar
European Commission. 1993. Community scale for the classification of carcasses of light lambs. EEC council regulation no. 461/93. European Commission, Brussels.Google Scholar
Friggens, N., Emmans, G., Kyriazakis, I., Shanks, M. and McClelland, T. H. 1994. The effect of decreasing feed quality on the growth of a wide range of sheep breeds. Proceedings of the 45th annual meeting of the European Association of Animal Production, p. 238.Google Scholar
Friggens, N. C., Shanks, M., Kyriazakis, I., Oldham, J. D. and McClelland, T. H. 1997. The growth and development of nine European sheep breeds. 1. British breeds: Scottish Blackface, Welsh Mountain and Shetland. Animal Science In press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guerra, J. C., Thwaites, C. J. and Edey, T. N. 1972. Assessment of the proportion of chemical fat in the bodies of live sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 78: 147–149.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gunn, R. G. and Doney, J. M. 1979. Ewe management for control of reproductive performance. Agricultural Development and Advisory Service Quarterly Review 35: 231–245.Google Scholar
Gunn, R. G., Doney, J. M. and Russel, A. J. F. 1972. Embryo mortality in Scottish Blackface ewes as influenced by body condition at mating and by post-mating nutrition. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 79:19–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iason, G. R., Sim, D. A., Foreman, E., Fenn, P. and Elston, D. A. 1994. Seasonal variation of voluntary food intake and metabolic rate in three contrasting breeds of sheep. Animal Production 58: 381–388.Google Scholar
Jefferies, B. C. 1961. Body condition scoring and its use in management. Tasmanian journal of Agriculture 32:19–21.Google Scholar
Jenkins, T. G. and Leymaster, K. A. 1993. Estimates of maturing rates and masses at maturity for body components of sheep, journal of Animal Science 71: 2952–2957.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Katsaounis, N. 1986. Sheep production, pp. 19–32. Kyriakides Bros., Thessaloniki, Greece.Google Scholar
Katsaounis, N. and Zygoyiannis, D. 1986. The East Friesland sheep in Greece. Research and Development in Agriculture 3:19–30.Google Scholar
Lowman, B. G., Scott, N. A. and Somerville, S. H. 1976. Condition scoring of cattle. East of Scotland College of Agriculture, bulletin no. 6. Edinburgh School of Agriculture, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, Scotland.Google Scholar
McClelland, T. H., Bonaiti, B. and Taylor, St C. S. 1976. Breed differences in body composition of equally mature sheep. Animal Production 23: 281–293.Google Scholar
McClelland, T. H. and Russel, A. J. F. 1972. The distribution of body fat in Scottish Blackface and Finnish Landrace lambs. Animal Production 15: 301–306.Google Scholar
Mason, I. L. 1967. Sheep breeds of the Mediterranean. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough.Google Scholar
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1989. Lamb carcass production—planning to meet your market, second edition. Meat and Livestock Commission, Milton Keynes, UK.Google Scholar
Murray, J. A. 1919. Meat production. Journal of Agricultural Science. Cambridge 9:174–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russel, A. J. F., Doney, J. M. and Gunn, R. G. 1969. Subjective assessment of body fat in live sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 72: 451–454.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, St C. S. 1985. Use of genetic size-scaling in evaluation of animal growth. Journal of Animal Science 61: 119–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teixeira, A., Delfa, R. and Colomer-Rocher, F. 1989. Relationships between fat depots and body condition score or tail fatness in the Rasa Aragonesa breed. Animal Production 49: 275–280.Google Scholar
Thomson, W. and Aitken, F. C. 1959. Diet in relation to reproduction and the viability of the young. II. Sheep: world survey of reproduction and review of feeding experiments. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire, UK.Google Scholar
Thonney, M. L., Taylor, St C. S. and McClelland, T. H. 1987. Breed and sex differences in equally mature sheep and goats. 1. Growth and food intake. Animal Production 45: 239–260.Google Scholar
Weiner, G. and Hayter, S. 1974. Body size and conformation in sheep from birth to maturity as affected by breed, crossbreeding, maternal and other factors. Animal Production 19: 47–66.Google Scholar
Wright, I. A. and Russel, A. J. F. 1984. Partition of fat, body composition and body condition score in mature cows. Animal Production 38: 23–32.Google Scholar
Yates, W. J. and Gleeson, A. R. 1975. Relationships between condition score and carcase composition of pregnant Merino sheep. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 15: 467–470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zervas, N., Hatjiminaglou, J., Georgoudis, A. and Boyazaglou, J. 1988. Characteristics and experiences of the Chios breed. Journal of Agricultural Science in Finland 60: 578–584.Google Scholar
Zygoyiannis, D., Doney, J. M., Stamataris, K., Katsaounis, N., Sossidou, E. and Arsenos, G. 1995. A new approach to lamb production and marketing in Greece. Stocarstvo 49: 335–344.Google Scholar
Zygoyiannis, D., Kyriazakis, I., Stamataris, C., Friggens, N. C. and Katsaounis, N. 1997. The growth and development of nine European sheep breeds. 2. Greek breeds: Boutsko, Serres and Karagouniko. Animal Science In press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar