Crossbreeding Balouchi Sheep with Romanov: A Profitable Strategy to Improve Litter Size, Lamb Growth, and Carcass Characteristics
محورهای موضوعی : Camel
A. Nikkhah
1
(Ferdows Pars Agri-Livestock Holding Co., Tehran, Iran)
M.H. Khabbazan
2
(Ferdows Pars Agri-Livestock Holding Co., Tehran, Iran)
A. Rezagholivand
3
(Ferdows Pars Agri-Livestock Holding Co., Tehran, Iran)
A. Rajaei
4
(Ferdows Pars Agri-Livestock Holding Co., Tehran, Iran)
S. Mokhtarzadeh
5
(Ferdows Pars Agri-Livestock Holding Co., Tehran, Iran)
H. Mousapour
6
(Ferdows Pars Agri-Livestock Holding Co., Tehran, Iran)
M. Moradi
7
(Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran)
کلید واژه: growth, Sheep, carcass, crossbreeding, romanov, Balouchi,
چکیده مقاله :
Crossbreeding in sheep is strategically used to improve production and reproduction, especially when pastures have low quality. The objective of this study was to compare growth performance, birth and weaning body weights, and survivability between purebred Balouchi (n=53) and crossbred Balouchi × Romanov (n=114) lambs. In addition, carcass characteristics (n=24) were determined. Balouchi ewes were inseminated with Romanov semen to produce crossbred lambs. All experimental lambs were weaned at 77 d of age and slaughtered at 10 months of age. Birth body weight of the purebred Balouchi lambs was significantly greater than that of the crossbred lambs (3.75 vs. 3.56 kg, P<0.01). However, weaning body weight (16.6 vs. 12.4 kg) and average daily gain from birth until weaning (152.2 vs. 126.0 g/d) and slaughter (125 vs. 95 g/d) were greater (P<0.05) for the crossbred lambs than for the purebred lambs. Slaughter body weight at 10-month age (36.9 vs. 36.1 kg) tended to be greater (P=0.08) for the crossbred lambs. Litter size was also increased by crossbreeding (1.13 vs. 1.00), but lamb survivability was not different between the two groups. The fat-tail-free carcass yield tended to increase with crossbreeding. Crossbreeding increased (P<0.05) the weights of testis (0.24 vs. 0.16 kg), liver (0.61 vs. 0.52 kg), heart (0.15 vs. 0.12, kg), and lung (0.47 vs. 0.40 kg), while it decreased the weights of skin (3.16 vs. 3.72 kg), fat-tail (0.30 vs. 1.29 kg), and total internal fats (1.08 vs. 2.06 kg). It is concluded that crossbreeding Balouchi ewes with Romanov’s semen resulted in improved litter size, weaning and slaughter body weights, average daily gains from birth until weaning and slaughter, and carcass characteristics without affecting lamb survivability. Therefore, crossbreeding can be a profitable strategy to increase lamb (meat) production in Balouchi sheep.
Abdullah A.Y., Kridli R.T., Shaker M.M. and Obeidat M.D. (2010). Investigation of growth and carcass characteristics of pure and crossbred Awassi lambs. Small Rumin. Res. 94, 167-175.
Abdullah A.Y., Qudsieh R.I. and Nusairat B.M. (2011). Effect of crossbreeding with exotic breeds on meat quality of Awassi lambs. Livest. Sci. 142, 121-127.
Boujenane I. (2015). Growth at fattening and carcass characteristics of D’man, Sardi and meat-sire crossbred lambs slaughtered at two stages of maturity. Trop. Anim. Health Prod. 47(7), 1363-1371.
Dos Santos A.C.P., Mauro Santos E., Pinto de Carvalho G.G., Batista Pinto L.F., Santos Pina D., Perazzo A.F., Silva de Oliveira J., Barreto Mourão G., Costa Nascimento T.V. and Ferreira de Lima Cruz G. (2021). Productive and metabolic parameters, carcass and meat characteristics of lambs fed sorghum silage amended with urea and Lactobacillus buchneri. Livest. Sci. 251, 104603.
Ekiz B., Yilmaz A., Ozcan M., Kaptan C., Hanoglu H., Erdogan I. and Yalcintan H. (2009). Carcass measurements and meat quality of Turkish Merino, Ramlic, Kivircik, Chios and Imroz lambs raised under an intensive production system. Meat Sci. 82, 64-70.
Iranian Council of Animal Care. (1995). Guide to the Care and Use of Experimental Animals, vol. 1. Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran.
Khaldari M. (2014). Sheep and Goat Husbandry. Jahade Daneshgahi, Tehran, Iran.
Khaldari M. and Ghiasi H. (2018). Effect of crossbreeding on growth, feed efficiency, carcass characteristics and sensory traits of lambs from Lori-Bakhtiari and Romanov breeds. Livest. Sci. 214, 18-24.
Khaldari M., Kashan N., Afzalzadeh A. and Salehi A. (2007). Growth and carcass characteristics of crossbred progeny from lean-tailed and fat-tailed sheep breeds. South African J. Anim. Sci. 37, 51-56.
Kyanzad M. (2001). Crossbreeding of the three Iranian sheep breeds with emphasis on growth and carcass characteristics of the lambs. PhD Thesis. University of Putra, Putra, Malaysia.
Nawaz M., Khan M.A., Qureshi M.A. and Rasool E. (1999). Productive and reproductive performance of Kajli and Lohi ewes. Asian-Australasian J. Anim. Sci. 12(1), 61-67.
Petrović M.P., Sretenović L., Muslić D.R., Pacinovski N. and Maksimović N. (2011). The effect of crossbreeding systems on lamb meat production. Macedonian J. Anim. Sci. 1(1), 57-60.
Šáda I. and Lukešová D. (2010). Effect of crossbreeding European sheep breeds with Awassi sheep on growth efficiency of lambs in Jordan. Agric. Trop. Subtropica. 43, 2-11.
Safdarian M., Zamiri M., Hashemi M. and Noorolahi H. (2008). Relationships of fat-tail dimensions with fat-tail weight and carcass characteristics at different slaughter weights of Torki-Ghashghaii sheep. Meat Sci. 80, 686-689.
SAS Institute. (2004). SAS®/STAT Software, Release 9.4. SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC. USA.
Shrestha J.N.B. (2005). Conserving domestic animal diversity among composite populations. Small Rumin. Res. 56(1), 3-20.
Talebi M.A. and Gholamhosseini K. (2018). Growth and feedlot performance of Lori-Bakhtiari, Romanov × Lori-Bakhtiari and Pakistani × Lori-Bakhtiari crossbred lambs. Res. Anim. Prod. 8(17), 201-208.
Thomas D.L. (2010). Performance and utilization of Northern European short-tailed breeds of sheep and their crosses in North America: A review. Animal. 4(8), 1283-1296.
