Masters Theses

Date of Award

3-1974

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Animal Science

Major Professor

Robert R. Shrode

Committee Members

H. V. Shirley, Ed R. Lidvall

Abstract

In the Awassi flock raised at the Hammam Al-Alil Experiment Station, Mosul University, Iraq, 336 single and 62 twin births were recorded over the years 1968-1972. The environmental factors, year of birth, sex of lamb, age of dam, weight of dam, month and type of birth were assessed with respect to their influence on birth weight, and repeatability of birth weight was estimated. Month of birth, sex of lamb, type of birth and weight of dam were highly significant effects (P < .01). However, in this study, year of birth appeared to have less significant (0.1 < P < 0.25) influence on birth weight of lambs since all lambs were born in the same season of each year and feeding and management were quite similar in all years. The phenotypic correlation between birth weight of lamb and weight of dam was 0.32, and repeatability of birth weight as a trait of the dam was estimated to be 0.23. The results provide a good illustration of the general level of management and environment prevailing in the ewe flock, with birth weight as indicator.

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