Using Suffolk sheep for improving lamb production from sub-tropical Egyptian sheep:2. Lamb and fattening performance

Abstract

SUMMARYLamb and fattening performance and carcass quality of Suffolk x local Ossimi cross-bred lambs are discussed. 1369 cross-bred lamb records over the period from 1957 to 1970 were available for the study. The lambs of 50–59% Suffolk were the best cross-bred group with an advantage of 7–7, 14–2 and 17–1% over the native Ossimi lambs in birth weight, 120-day and yearling body weights, respectively. Generally, lamb performance declined as the Suffolk breeding was increased. However, breed groups variation was not statistically significant, except for birth weight.Seventy-one weaned male lambs, 4 months of age, from three breed groups: 70–90% Suffolk, 35–45% Suffolk and local Ossimi, were fattened for 16 weeks using two levels of feeding. The two Suffolk cross-bred groups gained slightly more body weight than the local Ossimi. After 8 weeks of fattening, the 35–45% Suffolk lambs gained significantly more weight than the local lambs. However, the local lambs were more efficient in converting food to live-weight gain.The carcass quality of the Suffolk cross-bred lambs was better than the local lambs, and the advantage was greater for the high Suffolk breeding group.