Effect of type of birth of ewes on reproductive and productive efficiency in Garole x Malpura crosses

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to know the effect of type of birth of ewes on reproductive efficiency in Garolex Malpura (GM) crosses. The ewes' reproductive efficiency of GM ewes born as single, twins (born as male/female or female/female lambs) and triplets (male/female/female or male/male/female or all female lambs) were studied. The ewes' birth type non-significantly affects litter size and weaning rate however the ewes born as twins with female lambs produce 21.33% more lambs and also weaned 21.880/0 more lambs compared to ewes born as twins with male lambs. The lambing% on ewes' available basis of GM ewes born as twins with male lambs (TBMF), twins with female lambs (TBFF) and triplets with male/male/female or male/female/ female lambs (TRBMF) averaged 80.46, 83.33 and 86.67%. The results indicated that type of birth did not affect significantly the reproductive efficiency in prolific sheep and the ewes born as twin either with male or with female lambs are equally efficient.