Effect of the genealogic line on milk production and prolificacy of the ewes from Synthetic population Bulgarian milk

E. Raicheva, T. Ivanova, N. Metodiev

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to establish the effect of genealogic line on milk production and fecundity of ewes. In the study were included ewes from Synthetic population Bulgarian milk (SPBM) at first (n=176), second (n=156) and third (n=115) lactation, raised in Experimental base of Institute of Animal Science -Kostinbrod during years 2006-2011. The study was conducted with three lines: № 604 (ram founder from IAS-Kostinbrod), № 93 (ram founder from Experimental station -Vidin) and № 3156 (ram founder from Agricultural institute - Shumen). The dairy milk production for 120 days milking period was evaluated by AC method of ICAR. It was calculated the mean maximal milk production for the standard 120 days periods. Fecundity was defined in percentage as the ratio of number of all born lambs (included all born lambs - live born, dead born and aborted) to lambed ewes. The data were calculated by the methods of variation statistics with statistical program EXCEL 2003. The effect of line on milk production and fecundity was established by one-way ANOVA. It was not established the effect of line on standard 120 days milk production and there was a lack clearly marked linear differentiation between lines on the trait milk production. It was established significant influence of the effect of line on the fecundity of ewes at second and third lactation (F=4.165* and F=3.823*). A line №3156 was distinguished with higher fecundity at second and third lactation (149% and 170%).

Keywords: dairy sheep; fecundity; genealogic line; milk production

Date published: 2019-03-29