Effect of Growth and Body Weight Dynamics on Reproductive Performance of Horro Ewes at Bako Research Center.
1994
Solomon Abegaz (IAR, Addis Abeba (Ethiopia))
Conception and lambing performance of Horro ewes in a total of 2555 mating and 2476 parturition records were analyzed for effects of early life growth performance of ewes as indicated by birth, weaning, and yearling weights, and body weight, its gain and estimated condition in the period about mating, on type of lambing. Productive performance of single and twin lambing ewes as measured by number and weight of lambs weaned per ewe lambing, and weight of lamb weaned per kilo gram body and metabolic weight of lambing ewes was also analyzed. The results of this study suggest that except for weight and condition at mating, and weight gain in the month after mating, the other factors did not make a great contribution in determining litter size. Increasing litter size increases productivity (output of lamb weaned), and when coupled with lamb survival, this indicates that efficient production (weight of lamb weaned per ewe metabolic weight) can be best obtained by having twin births in ewes of the smallest possible body weight.
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