Performance of cross and purebred corriedale lambs slaughtered at 5 month of age

1. Death rate of newly born and measurements body weight, daily weight gain and fat score

Abstract

The effect of the crossbreeding of21 Corriedale (C), Texel (TX), Hampshire Down (HD), Southdown (SD), lle de France (IF) and Milchschaf(MI) rams with 560 Corriedale sheep on the performance ofsheep lambing and growth rate and fat score oflambs was evaluated during one year in two different fields. Sheep were mated in Autumn. Lamb's death rate was low (6%), as well as the proportion of assisted deliveries (<6%), no clear trend related to treatments being observed. The crossbreeding showed comparative advantages over the pure breed concerning growth rate and live weight. The best results were obtained with IF, and when the results was heavy lambs (220 g/day and 38.2 kg, 211 g/day and 36.7 kg, 212 g/day and 36.4 kg, 208 g/day and 35.8 kg, 202 g/day and 35 kg vs 186 g/day and 32.6 kg; growth rate and live weight in heavy IF, MI, SD, HD and TX and C lambs, respectively). The lambs resulting from crossbreeding with meat breeds (IF, TX, HD and SD) showed a better fat score at slaughter than the C or the MI, which were similar to the pure ones. The practical implications ofthese results are discussed.