Our objective was to identify the primary site of the reduced adrenal function in South African Angora goats (Capra aegagrus) that causes a decrease in cortisol production and leads to severe losses of Angora goats during cold spells. Angora goats, Boer goats (Capra hircus), and Merino sheep (Ovis aries) were assigned to three intravenous treatments: 1) insulin, 2) corticotropin-releasing facto...

Subcutaneous fat (SF) and Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle (LM) depths of growing lambs from six breeds were monitored. Ram ewe Dohne Merino, Dormer, Dorper, Meatmaster, South African Mutton Merino White Dorper reared together under optimal feedlot management conditions subjected to ultrasound scans every fortnight the point when attained 20 kg body weight up until 300 days age. Exponent...

A study is described which is unique in that resistance to each of the major diseases which affect production in Merino sheep was measured in the same flock under the same environmental conditions. Results indicated that within the one flock, genetic variation exists for resistance to internal parasites, foot-rot, fleece rot and dermatophilosis. Heritability estimates were similar to those publ...

Semen was collected during the breeding season from rams by electroejaculation from two native (13 Najdi and 8 Naemi) and three imported (6 Merino, 7 Somalian and 9 Sudanese) sheep breeds. There was a marked reduction in sperm concentration and the percentage live spermatozoa (p<0.01) produced by the Somalian (Barbari) and Sudanese (Sawakni) breeds. On the other hand, these two breeds showed th...

A total of 72 lambs weighing between 10.1-13.0 kg (category C of the European Union grading for light lambs) from the Bragançano, Campaniço, Merino Branco, Merino Preto e Serra da Estrela breeds were studied. These breeds represent 66.8% of the Portuguese sheep population. Evaluations were made at the same subcutaneous fat contents in the carcass (88.5 g kg(-1)). Small, significant (p < 0.05) d...