Effect of birth year on the growth performance of male lambs from the Rhodope Tsigai breed
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61308/ZZXF6523Keywords:
sheep, Rhodope Tsigai, body weight, average daily gain, year effectAbstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of birth year on the growth performance of weaned male lambs from the Rhodope Tsigai breed. The study included lambs (121 at 100 days of age, 120 at 180 days of age, and 113 at 270 days of age) raised in the ram-producing farm of the Association ARSRKKRTSO – Smolyan, owned by an agricultural producer in the village of Zagorsko, Momchilgrad municipality, Kardzhali district, Bulgaria. The study was conducted over five consecutive years (2020 - 2024). A total of 354 body weight records were analyzed. Individual body weights were measured using a calibrated electronic scale with an accuracy of 0.1 kg, in the morning before feeding. Average daily gain was calculated for the studied periods for each year. Lambs were fed according to norms with free access to water and raised under a semi-intensive system. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
The effect of year was determined using a one-way ANOVA model. The significance of the factor’s influence was determined by the Fisher F-test values, and the significance of differences between groups was assessed using Student’s t-test with the Data Analysis statistical package, Excel 2021, Microsoft. A highly significant effect of year (P < 0.001) was found at two ages – 100 and 270 days, with the strongest effect at 100 days where 58.5% of the observed weight differences were attributable to the birth year. The body weight of lambs born in 2022 was significantly lower (P < 0.001) compared to those born in other years across all observation periods. Average daily gain varied considerably by year and period. Lambs born in 2020 showed considerable compensatory growth during the period from day 100 to day 180 (250.7 g/day), which was significantly higher (P < 0.001) compared to all other studied years.
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