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Breed and sex differences in skeletal dimensions of sheep in the first year of life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

T. W. Searle ,
N. McC. Graham ,
J. B. Donnelly  and
D. E. Margan
T. W. Searle
Affiliation:
CSIRO, Division of Animal Production, PO Box 239, Blacktown, NSW 2148, Australia
N. McC. Graham
Affiliation:
CSIRO, Division of Animal Production, PO Box 239, Blacktown, NSW 2148, Australia
J. B. Donnelly
Affiliation:
CSIRO Division of Mathematics and Statistics, PO Box 218, Lindfield, NSW 2070, Australia
D. E. Margan
Affiliation:
CSIRO, Division of Animal Production, PO Box 239, Blacktown, NSW 2148, Australia
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Summary

Various measures of skeletal size were made on five or six occasions on 30 Dorset Horn and 30 Corriedale sheep (10 entire males, 10 females and 10 castrated males) commencing at 1 month of age (live weight 10 kg) and then at increments of 10 kg until 55 kg. After weaning at 6–7 weeks, they were fed ad libitumon a high-quality diet. The data sets for each sheep were analysed separately and, where appropriate, pooled equations for sex and breed were generated. Within both breeds, males had the widest shoulders at any given age and, within the Corriedales, males had the deepest chests. Dorset Horns grew faster than Corriedales and, except for leg length, were larger and heavier at corresponding ages.

At any given live weight, there was no difference between sexes within breeds and the breeds had similar chest depths. The Corriedales had longer legs and smaller shoulders than the Dorset Horns at all weights and, when heavier than 30 kg, were also larger in other body dimensions.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 113 , Issue 3 , December 1989 , pp. 349 - 354
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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