Effects of Substituting Finnsheep and Dorset Breeding for Rambouillet Breeding. I. Productivity of Young, Spring-Lambing Ewes

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Abstract
The main effects of increasing Dorset and Finnsheep breeding by ¼ at the expense of Rambouillet breeding on ewe productivity traits when lambing at 1, 2 and 3 years of age in late winter-early spring were estimated. One-hundred-ninety-eight crossbred ewes representing four combinations of Finnsheep (F), Dorset (D) and Rambouillet (R) breeding (½½R, ¼D ¾R, ¼F½D¼R and ¼F¼D½R) started the study. The comparison of the ½ Dorset ewes with the ¼ Dorset ewes estimated the main effect of increasing Dorset breeding by ¼ at the expense of Rambouillet breeding (¼ Dorset effect) and the comparison of the ¼ Finnsheep ewes with the 0 Finnsheep ewes estimated the main effect of increasing Finnsheep breeding by ¼ at the expense of Rambouillet breeding (¼ Finnsheep effect). The ¼ Finnsheep effect resulted in little change (P>.05) in ewe breeding weights at all three ages, a decrease (P<.01) in grease fleece weights of 1- and 2-year-old ewes and a decrease (P<.01) in quality grades of 1974 fleeces. The ¼ Dorset effect resulted in decreased (P<.01) ewe breeding and grease fleece weights at all three ages and in decreased (P<.01) quality grades of 1974 fleeces. When lambing at 1 year of age, the ¼ Finnsheep effect resulted in an increase (P<.10) of 3.5 kg in weight of lamb weaned per ewe exposed due primarily to a greater (P<.01) proportion of the ¼ Finnsheep ewes lambing than the 0 Finnsheep ewes (+24%). When lambing at approximately 2 and 3 years of age, the ¼ Finnsheep effect resulted in little change in weight of lamb weaned per ewe exposed. At all ages, the ¼ Dorset effect resulted in little change in weight of lamb weaned per ewe exposed. Copyright © 1979. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1979 by American Society of Animal Science.

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