Improving Growth Rates in Turcana Indigenous Sheep Breed Using German Blackheaded Mutton Rams

Abstract

Improving growth rates in indigenous Turcana breed should be one of the most important objectives for sheep specialists, do to the fact that over 70% of the sheep population from Romania is represented by the breed. Researches were carried out in a commercial farm from Timis county, on a number of 48 crossbreed F1 German Blackheaded Mutton x Turcana (GBMT) lambs, the control group was represented by purebreed Turcana (TU) lambs, both males and females (33 heads). The lambs were weighed at birth, at 28 days and at 8 months of age. During first 28 days, F1 GMBT registered an average daily gain of 229.46 g, compared to Turcana lambs witch registered an average of 194.12 g, differences being very significant statistically (p<0.001). Total growth gain at the age of 240 days was registered 40.51 kg in crossbreed lambs, and of 33.35 kg in purebreed Turcana lambs, differences were very significant statistically between the two groups (p<0.001). German Blackheaded Mutton rams could be used as crossing sires for indigenous Turcana breed in order to substantially improve growth rates in F1 lambs.

Keywords

• german blackheaded mutton
• improving growth rates
• turcana ewes