Effectiveness of twinning rate for economically profitable sheep breeding: production of slaughter milky lambs for Christmas market

Abstract

This work is focused on the economic analysis of delicate breeds of sheep - Improved Wallachian and Tsigai ewes in the Slovak Republic in the years 2003 and 2004, oriented towards slaughter milky lambs production for pre-Christmas market. To induce and synchronize the oestrous in the anaestric period (out of breeding season), the vaginal sponges impregnated by synthetic gestagen (fluorogestone acetate, FGA 40 mg in dose) were applied during 13 – 14 days with the following intra-muscular application of eCG (equine chorial gonadothrophin), 500 I.U. in Tsigai and 1 000 I.U. in Wallachian, respectively. Ewes were fed with maize grits and were milked twice a day. Rams were allowed two times as well. Sales of the slaughter milky lambs were realized in the foreign market. Lambs were divided into three quality classes according to their average weight. In the year 2003 there were 200 Improved Wallachian ewes were treated (breed A) and almost 85 % of them lambed. There were 252 lambs born and 242 weaned and sold for 367 366 Sk. The expenditures on treatment (hormonal appliance, work, transport) constituted for 66 350 Sk. In the year 2004 (breed A), only about 55 % of ewes treated (Tsigai ewes were in bad body condition as they originated from liquidated breed) lambed. From 340 ewes (200 Improved Wallachian and 140 Tsigai ewes) 305 lambs were born out of which 295 (all in the third class) were weaned and sold after the New Year for an amount of 447 085 Sk. The expenditures for treatment accounted for 93 160 Sk. In breed B (2004) 390 Tsigai ewes were treated. The fertility reached as high as 97.70 %. Out of the 452 lambs born 436 were sold for an amount of 467 842 Sk, while the expenditure on treatment accounted for 86 648 Sk. The results suggest that influencing the onset of oestrous by hormonal treatments and by flushing can enhance the reproductive and productive parameters and increase the twinning rate and thus the share of slaughter lambs sale. Concurrently, the breed structure is also being solved.