Authors : A.N. Al-Owaimer, A.A. Swelum, S.H. Yaqoob, E.S. Hussein and M.A. Abouheif
Abstract: This study aims to investigate the effect of carrying one copy of the FecB allele on body weight of Naeimi and Naeimi crossbred lambs at birth, weaning, 75 and 100 days of age. A total of 107 lambs representing 24 purebred Naeimi (NN) and 83 Naeimi-Booroola carrier crossbred (NB) were examined. The results showed that 43 lambs out of the 83 NB lambs were heterozygous carrier of the FecB allele whereas the other NB lambs were homozygous non-carrier of the wild allele. The frequency of the B+ genotype was 0.52 among all born NB lambs. The results also revealed that mean body weights of NN lambs were heavier (p<0.05) than that of NB lambs at all studied ages. Body weights of NB++ were heavier (p<0.05) than NBB+ lambs at birth, weaning and 75 days of age, the differences in weight between NB++ and NBB+ at 100 days of age was not significant (p>0.05). The influence of type of birth on live body weight at birth and weaning age was significant (p<0.05) but these differences between single and twin born lambs and between twin and triplet born lambs disappeared (p>0.05) at 75 and 100 days of age. No differences (p>0.05) were noted in birth and weaning weights of male and female lambs, however, the male lambs being 7.2% heavier (p<0.05) than the female lambs at 75 and 100 days of age.
A.N. Al-Owaimer, A.A. Swelum, S.H. Yaqoob, E.S. Hussein and M.A. Abouheif, 2014. Effects of the FecB Allele on Body Weights of Naeimi and Naeimi Crossbred Lambs. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 13: 449-453.