Efficiency of fattening lambs from Bulgarian dairy synthetic population and its F1 crosses with meat sheep breeds

Yovka Popova1; Nikolay Ivanov1; Petia Slavova1; Stayka Laleva1; Stanimira Slavova1; Georgi Kalaydzhiev1; Evgenia Achkakanova2
1 Agricultural institute, Stara Zagora 6000, Bulgaria
2 Agricultural academy, Sofi a 1000, Bulgaria

Abstract

Popova, Y., Ivanov, N., Slavova, P., Laleva, S., Slavova, S., Kalaydzhiev, G., & Achkakanova, E. (2019). Efficiency of fattening lambs from bulgarian dairy synthetic population and its F1 crosses with meat sheep breeds. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 25(Suppl. 1), 78–81

The purpose of this study was to estimate economic effi ciency of fattening to a different live weight of lambs from Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population and its F1 crosses with meat sheep breeds.
The experiment was conducted at the sheep farm of the Agricultural Institute in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. Subject of the study was a total of 27 lambs of which: 9 lambs of Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population (SPBM) and 18 lambs crosses of SPBM ewes with Mouton Sharollais and Ile de France rams. After weaning, three groups of lambs were formed by the method of analogues with 9 animals each: first group – SPBM lambs, second – F1 lambs of SPBM ewes and Ile de France rams, and third – F1 lambs of SPBM ewes and Mouton Sharollais rams.
When reaching a 22-23 kg before-slaughter live weight, 3 male lambs of the three groups were slaughtered to determine the parameters of the carcass and quality of meat. The study continued and the remaining lambs were reared as described, until a preslaughter live weight of 34-35 kg was achieved.
For the economic analysis of the obtained results, the “Benefi t-cost analysis” method was applied, and the synthetic indicator “rate of profi tability” was used for determination of economic effi ciency. Revenues and costs were evaluated at current market prices.
It has been found that: revenues of fattening at both levels of slaughter were at the highest in F1 lambs crosses of SPBM ewes and Ile de France rams, followed by SPBM lambs; the highest production costs for fattening were reported for SPBM lambs, followed by the Mouton Sharollais crosses; the highest economic effi ciency was calculated for the fattening of the F1 Ile de France lambs crosses, followed by the F1 Mouton Sharollais crosses, and the lowest – in lambs of Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population.

Keywords: lambs; fattening; slaughter; economic effi ciency; inputs; costs
Abreviations: SPBM – Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population; MS – Mouton Sharollais; IF – Ile de France

See the article as a PDF.