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A comparison of cross-bred ewes raised from Welsh Mountain dams by three sire breeds: Cambridge, Border Leicester and Lleyn

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. B. Owen  and
C. J. Whitaker
J. B. Owen
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Statistics Advisory Unit, University College of North Wales, Bangor
C. J. Whitaker
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, Statistics Advisory Unit, University College of North Wales, Bangor
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Summay

A study of cross-bred ewes sired by Cambridge, Border Leicester and Lleyn rams out of Welsh Mountain ewes, involving a total of 408 observations, was carried out partly under lowland and partly under upland conditions in North Wales. The results snowed that the Cambridge and Lleyn were more precocious than the Border Leicester (relative percentage of ewes put to the tup lambing at 1 year old was 51·9, 66·3 and 66·8 respectively for Border Leicester, Cambridge and Lleyn cross-breds). In terms of lambs born and lambs reared per ewe lambing the ranking of the breeds was (in descending order) Cambridge, Border Leicester and Lleyn respectively. The Cambridge was lower in terms of mean weight of lambs at birth and at 56 days and relative mean age at slaughter tended to be lower in the Border Leicester crosses. Taking into consideration the lower body weight, particularly of the Lleyn cross-breds, ranking on relative feed conversion efficiency was Cambridge, Border Leicester and Lleyn when ewe fertility and days to slaughter were excluded.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 109 , Issue 1 , August 1987 , pp. 159 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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