Growth-development characteristics and affecting factors in Norduz lambs

Abstract

The objective of this study is to know the growth and developmental traits of Norduz lambs and to determine the factors influencing the growth and developmental traits and their contribution to this influence. The lambs were weighed at intervals of 30th days to the 180th day after birth. As a result of weighing, the mean values of live weight on the 30th, 60th, 90th, 120th, 150th, and 180th day were obtained: 11.63 ± 0.24, 17.29 ± 0.35, 24.51 ± 0.51, 31.92 ± 0.62, 34.39 ± 0.70, and 36.13 ± 0.80 kg, respectively. According to the results of the GLM analysis, it was found that maternal age had a significant (p < 0.01) effect on live weight on day 60th and a significant (p < 0.05) effect on live weight on days 90th and 180th. It was found that there was a difference between maternal age groups in terms of lamb live weight gain. The influence of birth type on live weight on days 30th and 60th was highly significant (p < 0.001), and the influence on live weight on day 90th was significant (p < 0.01). The effect of sex on live weight was not significant at all ages (p > 0.05). The linear effects of main weight on live weight on day 30th were highly significant (p < 0.001), and on live weight on day 60th were significant (p < 0.01). It was found that the linear effects of lamb birth weight on all ages were highly significant (p < 0.001). In the study, the live weight gains were determined between 0 and 30, 0 and 60, 0 and 90, 0 and 180, and 90 and 180 days. The live weight gains were 236.97 ± 5.77, 212.90 ± 4.87, 222.16 ± 5.02, 175.57 ± 4.12, and 128.96 ± 4.71 g, respectively. It was found that maternal age had a significant effect at the level of p < 0.01 between 0 and 60 days and p < 0.05 between 0 and 90 days. While the effect of mode of birth on live weight gain between 0 and 30 and 0 and 60 days was highly significant (p < 0.001), the effect on live weight gain between 0 and 90 days was found to be significant (p < 0.01). The effect of sex was not significant (p > 0.05) in all ranges.