Crossbreeding occurs when two distinctly different breeds of animals are mated to each other. Crossbreeding is an effective tool, which can be used to: make big changes in the performance of your flock, or. it can be used to create huge management problems.

Crossbreeding, sometimes called “designer crossbreeding”, is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to maintain health and viability of organisms, irresponsible crossbreeding can also produce organisms of inferior quality or dilute a purebred gene pool to the point of extinction of a …

In the 1860s, about the same time as Darwin, Gregor Mendel discovered he could cross breed different strains of pea plants and predict the traits of the offspring. He proposed that there was a genetic basis for inherited traits and demonstrated that he could control them.

Genetic issues. While many breeders argue that cross breeding produces healthier, stronger dogs, there is no scientific evidence to back this up. Therefore, the combination of two separate dogs could potentially lead to serious genetic entanglement issues; it could work out brilliantly, but also terribly.

As a general rule, healthy sound Merino and British breed rams can be used at a rate of 1 ram: 100 ewes. This ratio can be modified to suit different conditions.

It is convenient to wait at least 3 months after the last parturition (lambing) before a ewe is bred again. A ewe comes into first heat at 7 to 8 months of age. A ewe should not be bred when she comes into her first heat.

Ewe lambing signs The udder becomes engorged, swollen and slightly red. Ewe lambing signs also include the vulva stretching out and becomes red and swollen. Often, an ewe will miss a feeding or separate herself from the flock shortly before labor begins.

Signs of Impending Lambing Approximately 10 days before the ewe will lamb, the teats begin to feel firm and full of colostrum. Between then and lambing the lips of the vulva slacken and become slightly swollen. In the last hours before lambing, many ewes will separate from the flock.

Although vasectomised rams are often left in for a week (in for one week, out for one week, then introduce fertile rams is easily remembered), just two days’ exposure is sufficient and would allow their use in other groups of ewes consecutively.

mating of individuals that are related. Strictly speaking, however, all animals within a breed are related. So, in a sense, every purebred sheep producer practices some degree of inbreeding. This practice includes mating brother to sister, sire to daughter and son to dam.

It is common practice to separate the rams and ewes after six to eight weeks – long enough for the ewes to go through two oestrus cycles. Sheep carry their lambs for approximately 145 days.

152 days

Mutton is the meat of those sheep which are at least one year old. To get lamb meat, sheep are slaughtered between the age of four and twelve months. The meat of sheep from the age of 5 months and 6 months are sold as spring lambs and those which are 6 to 10 months old are baby lamb.

sheep