ABSTRACT
This study was performed to investigate the effect of crossbreeding Edilbai rams (E) with Romanov ewes (R) on growth performance, carcass and serum biochemical parameters as well as to compare the productive characters of the obtained crossbred ram lambs (E X R) with Romanov ram lambs. Over a fattening period of five months two groups of experimental animals each 10 lambs were compared. First group included Romanov ram lambs and the second included crossbred ram lambs.
Crossbred ram lambs gained significantly more weight. Their average daily gains exceed significantly Romanov ram lambs throughout the experiment. Digestibility coefficients of nutrients of the diet increased with crossbred lambs in the first and second growth periods, but mostly insignificant, compared to pure lambs.
Furthermore, significant increase were recorded for all carcass traits in crossbred lambs (E X R) compared with Romanov lambs including pre-slaughter weight, pair carcass weight, slaughter weight and cold carcass weight. On the other hand, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in serum biochemical parameters except slight increase in glucose level in crossbred group.
In conclusion, crossbred ram lambs (E X R) had superiority over Romanov ram lambs in all productive and carcass traits, therefore the crossbred lambs deserve further investigations.