Comparative Growth and Reproductive Performance Evaluation of Crossbred (Black Head Ogaden and Hararghe Highland with Dorper) Sheep under Different Nutritional Management

Genet Berhe Kihshen, Yoseph Mekesha Gebre, Mengistu Urge Letta

Abstract


An experiment was conducted from September2011up to January 2012 to compare growth and reproductive performance of crossbred sheep at two levels of nutrition (grazing + concentrate supplementation at 0.9% of body weight [N1] and grazing + concentrate supplementation at 1.5% body weight [N2])). Concentrate mixture was prepared from wheat bran and noug seed cake at a ratio of 2:1. The experiment was laid out similarly as 2×2 factorial arrangement using Completely Randomized Design. The number of animals included in the experiment was 20. The mean initial body weight for Black Head Ogaden[BHO]*Dorper and Hararghe Highland[HH]*Dorper sheep was 22.08±0.93 and 21.91± 0.73 (mean±se), respectively. From this research the following results was found. Crossbred sheep fed high level of nutrition had significantly higher value of average daily body weight gain (110±4.66; than crossbred sheep fed low level of nutrition (94±2.18). Correlation coefficients(r) between body weight and other linear body measurements (r= 0.91) for HH*Dorper ram and (r=0.93) for BHO*Dorper ram. To predict body weight from other linear body measurements, heart girth was found to be the best predictor. Breed had a significant effect on semen volume. HH*Dorper rams had significantly higher semen volume (1.048±0.04) than BHO*Dorper rams (0.89±0.05). Nutrition had also a significant effect on sperm motility (P<0.001). Thus, crossbred rams fed high level of nutrition had higher motile sperm cells (4.29±0.105) than their contemporaries fed on low level of nutrition (3.33±0.24). The interaction of breed by nutrition had a significant effect on sperm concentration. HH*Dorper sheep fed N2(T4) had higher sperm concentration followed by HH*Dorper fed N1(T3)>BHO*Dorper fed on N2(T2) >BHO*Dorper fed on N1(T1). Breed had significant effect on sexual behaviour traits of crossbred ram. HH*Dorper rams had higher value of lip curl response (25.83±3.12) and mount duration (3.27±0.12) than BHO*Dorper rams (2.36±0.18) for mount duration and (12.5±4.11) for lip curl.


Keywords


body weight, concentration, growth, heart girth, morphology, semen, volume,

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References


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