Body weight of Awassi and indigenous Ethiopian sheep and their crosses

Crossbreeding with the Awassi breed to improve productivity of indigenous sheep is a common practice in the highlands of central-northern Ethiopia. The relative merit of Awassi and indigenous sheep, and their crosses reared on-station are reported for body weights at birth, weaning weight (110-days) and daily gain. Results revealed that breed was a significant source of variation while Awassi lambs consistently weighed more, whereas lambs with 50% or less Awassi weighed less than indigenous lambs. There was no significant difference among lambs with more than 50% Awassi for daily gain. Season, year of birth, season × year of birth, and sex had important influence for all three traits with lower performance of lambs born in the dry season. Management options (feeding strategies and mating systems) and alternative breeding programs to enhance productivity are suggested. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved