Breed group effects on pregnancy rate and ewe performance in different seasons of the year

Abstract

Thirty-one Dorset (D), 24 Finnish Landrace (F), 35 Barbados Blackbelly x Dorset (BD), 10 Dorset x Finn (F), 24 Finn x Dorset (FD) and 35 grade Rambouillet (R) ewes were exposed to rams in various seasons. Ewes were born in 1979 or 1980; no R ewes were born in 1980. Ewes were bred in April, 1980 (APR80); November, 1980 (NOV80); August, 1981 (AUG81); May, 1982 (MAY82); and April, 1983 (APR83). Ewes born in 1980 entered the study in NOV80. The analytical model used to describe ewe performance included effects of ewe birth year (EBY), breed/EBY, season/EBY, breed x season/EBY and ewe (random).