| Popis: |
Barbados sheep were first introduced into Mississippi during the early 1960s when 16 sheep of breeding age were purchased from a ranch near Kerrville, Texas, and moved to a ranch near Winona in north-central Mississippi. Mixed-breed mating and conception occurred only after the introduction to the breeding flock of Dorset and Barbados ram lambs that had been reared together. The degree of Barbados breeding influenced yield grade and percent kidney-pelvic (KP) fat, with lambs from Barbados dams containing more of the KP fat that would contribute to a less desirable yield grade. Barbados and Barbados ×Dorset ewes had more frequent lambings and larger litter sizes than did Dorset ewes, when given the opportunity to lamb 3 times in 2 years. The lamb survival percentage of the Barbados and the crossbred ewes was higher than that of the Dorset ewes, in spite of the Barbados ewes’ larger litter size. |
