Recognition of Torky Ghashghaii sheep in the Fars peovince.

According to the evaluation designes of Iranian native sheep and in order to havebas]call scientific information on Torky Ghashghaii sheep of Fars province, this study was done on 1374 to 1377. In this study reproductive and productive traits,morphological characteristics and how to use of this sheep breed in it's distributionregion were evaluated. This res each consist of two parts. In the first part some information on breed distribution and productive traits of torky sheep are provided through an extract of 150 question aires prepared on the flock basis. In the second part some scientific information are provided through the control of performance of an flock in the research 1s18tion. Torky sheep is one of the Fars native sheep breeds, that managed under nomadic and vilages systems. The main distribution regions of this sheep are in the north-west, west and south west of the Fars province on Abadeh, Eghlid, Mammasani, Sepidan, Kazeron, Shiraz, Firoozabad, Lar and Lamerd regions. The degre e of puerness in the breed is low and the main reason for this subject is crossbreeding in unsuitable plane with some large size sheep breeds from other provinces on north and north-west of Fars province. Torky sheep is raised baisically on range condition. According to observations in this study, there are some problems on management, nutrition, housing, veterinary and medicine facilities hrough the rearingof this sheep breed in two different type of nomadic and vilages systems. With this problems this sheep flocks could not appear their real production potential. The I number of the sheep in the vil1ages tlocks are between 30 to 60 heads and in nomadic flocks are between 60 to 400 and average flock size are between 30 to 300 heads. The number of lambs are 3 to 12 head, that in small tlock are 2 and in large flocks are 30 heads. The number of ewes are 15 to 150 heads. Ram lambs and ewe lambs consist of to 20 percent of flock size respectively. The body collar of Torky sheep had been seen in cream, dark red, brown, and white, but recently, we can not see these collars distinctively, in case of crossbreeding with other breeds. In some flocks that are- . controled by government and the flock of the research istation, the body collar is in distinctive collar in cream. About 75 percent of rams are horny, 25 percent of them are not horny and about 1 percent of ewes are horny. Body of this sheep is medium with round and suitable tail fat for hard condition in walking on range for browsing. The second part of this study is devoted to the performance of an tlock in research station. The summary of results obtained during three years of experimental investigation are as follows. Reproduction:1- Max. no. of lambing is during 2- Fertility (%)3- Prolificity (%) 4- Twining (%)5- Lambing rate (%)6- Lamb mortality (%)7- Ewe mortality (%90/44 90/89 2/93 99/51 4/65 3 Body weight: 1- Brith weight (rams)4/37 2- Brith weight (ewes)4/2 3- Body weight at 6 months (rams)30/63 4- Body weight at 6 months (ewes) 27/04 5- Body weight at 12 months (rams)34/62 6- Body weight at 12 months (ewes)28/93 Fattening performance and Carcass characteristics: MaleFemale 1- Age of animal at the begining of fattening (months)4 2- Time of experiment (months)88 3- Initial body weight (kg)22/1 18/9 4- Final body weight (kg)62/244/4 5- Average daily gain (ADG) (g/day)166106 6- Average feed consumption (kg/day) 1/3851/204 7- Average feed conversion ratio (kg feed/kg ADG)8/74128- Warm carcass (%)51/348/6 9- Cold carcass (%) 49/847/1 10- Hard drops (%)17/619/3 11- Soft drops (%)6/56/3 12- Internal fat (%)1/933 13- Tail fat (%) 17/914/3 14- Meat (%)51/749/9 15- Fat (%)14/113/4 16- Bone (%)32/127/7 MHk production: 1- Milk production (per J50 days) (kg)40/5 2- Daily milk production (g)2703- Lactaition period (days) 4- Butter fat content (%)5/95 5- No. of ewes tented (head)258 Wool: Greasy fleece Wt. (rams) g Greasy fleece Wt. (ewes) g Stapple length mm Percent of hetrotype fiber by weight Percent of true wool fiber by weight Percent of hair by weight Percent of kemp fiber by weight.