MEAT PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE IN GELDED RAMS OF THE ARGUNSKIY TYPE OF ZABAIKALSKAYA FINE-FLEECE SHEEP DEPENDING ON LIVE WEIGHTS OF EWES

Abstract

Results are given from a scientific-production experiment on studying the influence of live weights of Zabaikalskaya Fine-Fleece ewes of the Argunskiy type on offspring growth, development and production performance under conditions of Transbaikal region. To carry out an experiment, there were formed three groups of ewes varying in their live weights: 50-55, 56-60, and 61-65 kg. A significant increase in live weight was revealed in lambs, obtained from ewes with the greater live weights, at the age of 4 months by 3.3 and 3.8 kg, or 14.6 and 16.8 percent, respectively, with the further conservation of this advantage at the age of 7 months by 1.70 and 3.00 kg, or 5.6 and 18.2 percent. There was revealed an advantage of average daily liveweight gain in lambs under the age of 4 months, obtained from ewes of 56-60 and 61-65 kg live weights, by 16.1 and 18.2 percent. During the feeding period from 4 to 7 months of age was found an advantage of the characteristic above in lambs, obtained from ewes of the lesser live weight (50-55 kg) by 17.8 and 8.9 g, or 20.8 and 10.4 percent, respectively. A significant difference in fresh carcass weight was revealed between the gelded rams of the first group and those of the second and third groups in favor of the latter ones by 0.56 and 1.6 kg, or 4.9 and 14.1 percent, respectively. As to weight at slaughter, the gelded rams from ewes with the greater live weights were larger by 0.78 and 2.01 kg, or 6.6 and 19.9 percent.