Main productive performance of Awassi sheep in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey

Abstract

This study aimed to determine milk yield, fertility, lamb growth, survival rate, and the effect of environmental factors on these parameters in the Awassi sheep of the Central Anatolian Region. The fertility parameters were determined to be as follows: heat rate, pregnancy rate, parturition rate, single-born rate, twinning rate, abortion rate, lamb rate, and number of lambs per parturition, based on the number of ewes assigned for mating, were 100%, 93.8%, 90.5%, 79.7%, 20.3%, 1.4%, 108.8%, and 1.20%, respectively. The survival rates of lambs at 60 and 120 days of age were 88.3% and 84.5%, respectively. The average lactation milk yield and lactation period of the Awassi ewes were 196.5 +/- 5.60 kg and 184.3 +/- 2.11 days, respectively. The general death and slaughter rate of the stock was 8.2% throughout the research period. The lactation milk yield was affected by the production year (P < 0.01) and the age of the ewe (P < 0.01), but the lactation length was not affected by the same environmental factors (P > 0.05). The results of this study have shown that the Awassi sheep raised in the Central Anatolian Region had similar lactation milk yield, fertility parameters, and survival rates as the Awassi sheep's original race. In addition, since there were no epidemic health problems observed during the 2-year research period, Awassi sheep were shown to be adapted to being raised in this region.