STUDIES OF SOME ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTIC ON AWASSI LAMBS IN JORDAN

ABSTRACT
A total of 277 Awassi lambs were weighed (277 lambs at birth, reduced to 190 at
weaning and to 168 at 5-monthes of age). Body measurements were heart girth (HG),
body length (BL), wither height (HH), withers width (WWD), hip width (HW), withers
depth (WD), hip depth (HD), tail circumferences (TC) and tail length (TL).
The average weight at birth (BW), weaning weight (WW), average daily gain
from birth to weaning (ADG) and 5-months body weight (MW) were 4.388, 17.749,
0.221 and 29.136 kg, respectively. Also means of HG, BL, WH, HH, WWD, HW, WD,
HD, TC and TL were 0.69, 0.602, 0.600, 0.603, 0.145, 0.139, 0.238, 0.222, 0.347 and
0.181 m, respectively.
In general, sire genetic group significantly affected MW and WD. Sex of lambs
was observed to affect significantly all studied traits except WW, WWD and HW, while
type of birth significantly affected most traits except WWD and HW. A non-significant
effect of age and parity of dam was observed on all traits while weight of ewe at lambing
was significantly affected TC only.