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A note on increasing lamb production of fat-tailed Awassi and German Mutton Merino sheep grazing in a semi-arid area

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. A. Degen
Affiliation:
Isan Center, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
R. W. Benjamin
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Gilat Experimental Station, Negev Mobile Post 2, Israel
E. Eyal
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Organization, Bet Dagan, Israel
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Extract

The native fat-tailed Awassi and the imported German Mutton Merino (GMM) sheep are well adapted to semi-arid conditions (Degen, 1977; Degen and Shkolnik, 1978). This enables these sheep to graze large areas of the Negev Desert in Israel that is marginal for farming. However, under extensive conditions both these sheep breeds yield low lamb crops producing fewer than 1·0 lamb per ewe per year.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1987

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References

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