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The litter size and fertility of Finnish Landrace and Tasmanian Merino sheep and their reciprocal crosses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. B. Land ,
W. S. Russell  and
H. P. Donald
R. B. Land
Affiliation:
ARC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
W. S. Russell
Affiliation:
ARC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
H. P. Donald
Affiliation:
ARC Animal Breeding Research Organisation, Edinburgh EH9 3JQ
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Summary

Litter size (number of lambs born per female lambing) of adult female Finnish Landrace and Tasmanian Merino sheep mated to males of either breed was 2·9 and 1·0 respectively. Breed of ram had a direct effect on the conception rate of the ewes to which they were mated—22% of ewes mated to Merino rams returned to oestrus but only 10% of those mated to Finn rams—but not on their litter size.

A comparison of the reproductive performance of crossbred females with that of purebred contemporaries indicated that there was very little or no heterosis for litter size, the crossbreds being almost exactly intermediate between the parents. The proportion of females showing oestrus during the mating period, however, was lower in the Merinos than in the Finns and crossbreds. This was particularly noticeable in females put to the ram at around 6 months of age. Whereas 35 of 36 Finnish Landrace females and 46 of 49 crossbreds showed oestrus, only one of the 20 Merinos did so. At about 6 months of age therefore the crossbred females showed heterosis in the incidence of oestrus.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , June 1974 , pp. 265 - 271
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1974

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References

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