Effects of Some Factors on Growth of Lambs and the Determination of Growth Curve Models

Abstract

The aims were to identify the body weight of the several age groups in Norduz lambs and its correlations between these traits were to determine the best non-linear growth curve models for the growth performance of the Norduz sheep breed. A total of 91 male and female of Norduz lambs were evaluated under extensive system conditions. The least square means for weights at birth and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, 150, 165, 180, 195 and 210 days of age periods were 4.51 +/- 0.56, 9.28 +/- 0.25, 11.14 +/- 0.29, 14.99 +/- 0.37, 18.21 +/- 0.43, 22.54 +/- 0.54, 22.33 +/- 0.25, 23.59 +/- 0.54, 25.58 +/- 0.55, 28.07 +/- 0.58, 29.45 +/- 0.60, 29.98 +/- 0.84, 32.44 +/- 0.61, 32.03 +/- 0.59 and 31.45 +/- 0.57 kg, respectively. There were differences in favor of lambs of four-year old dams at 15 days of age and also lambs born single at 90 days of age for the body weight. The effect of weight of dam at birth, 30, 45, 60 days of age was significant (P<0.05-P<0.01) and the birth weight in lambs importantly effected the weights at 15, 30, and 45 days of age. All correlations between the body weights of several age periods were significant as statistical (P<0.01). As for the growth models, distinguished models were compared using the coefficient of determination and mean square error for both sexes. As a result, we concluded that von Bertalanffy model were the best model in comparison with the other models for biological growth curves in Norduz male and female lambs.