Effect of Crossing Different Breeds of Sheep on Productive Performance and Different Body Measurements

Abstract

Abstract The study was conducted in one of the fields of Barakat Abi Al-Fadl Al-Abbas in Karbala Governorate Iraq for 365 days, from the first of June 2022 until the first of June of the year 2023. To determine effect of crossing different breeds of sheep on productive performance and different body measurements of lambs from weaning until the age of 6 months through some genetic and non-genetic factors (Sex of the lamb, Dam age at birth, Month of birth), 60 ewes of the Awassi and Karakul breed and their cross were used. And then, body measurements were recorded body length (BL), body height at the front (BHF), body height at the back (BHB), chest circumference (CC), and abdominal circumference (AC) for all strains, and the data were analysed statistically using Statistical Analysis System (SAS). The results showed the following: The genetic group had a significant (P<0.05) effect on body measurements, as the ewes of the Awassi and Karakul breeds on crossbred flock breed ewes’ group in AC, and the averages were 77.52, 76.95, and 73.77 cm at weaning. While the Awassi and Karakul ewes’ group on crossbred flock ewes’ group in BL and AC, with an average of 56.42 and 85.70 cm at the age of 6 months. Females were superior to males in three characteristics represented by CC and AC (P<0.05) and a highly significant effect (P<0.01) in BHB, as their averages were 67.36, 77.48, and 58.00 cm, respectively, compared to males whose averages were 65.50 and 75. 00 and 56.64 cm, respectively. December births (55.25 cm) also outperformed November births (53.28 cm) in BL.