Published in Scientific Papers. Series D. Animal Science, Vol. LXIII, Issue 2
Written by Alexandru Marian FLOREA, Ionică NECHIFOR, Andre CRÎȘMARU, Constantin PASCAL
In the researches carried out, several aspects were followed through which an objective analysis of the possibilities of early use for reproduction of the young sheep of the Karakul breed from Botoşani was pursued. In this sense, three batches were formed of young females who had an average age of 9 months (L1), 15 months (L2) and 20 months (L3). In order to eliminate the influence of external factors, all batches benefited from the same experimental treatment for three successive reproduction cycles. Finding the young ewes that were in heat was done with the help of testers rams and the fertilization was made in the autumn season, respecting the mating list. The data show that the early use of females of this breed did not affect the rate of body development at later ages. Thus, if at the time of the first reproduction season the average weight was only 72.38% of the adult weight, it increases to 87.99% in the second season and stands at 99.25% in the third season. Based on the data statistically processed, it is found that at the beginning of the third mating season an equalization of the data specific to the average live weight takes place in all experimental batches. Interestingly, at L1 it is found that early use in reproduction does not in any way affect the live weight in subsequent mating seasons. This batch had, after the third season of use in reproduction, a live weight greater with 0.25 kg compared to the batch who had at first mating season the age of 453.33 days and lower by 0.82 kg compared to the batch that had in the first season an average age of 20 months. At batch L2 the average body weight was 41.78± 0.87 kg, reaching the following season at 49.16± 0.25 kg which represented about 91% of the weight of adult sheep. By the fact that at the end of the third season the average body weight was 52.84± 0.38 kg it stated that this indicator reached 98.78% of the sheep weight that were over three years old.
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