This study was conducted on Ramlıç sheep raised on a private farm to determine the fertility traits, milk yield, post-shearing body weight, several body measurements, and fleece characteristics of ewes, as well as the growth and survival rates of lambs. The study animals consisted of 286 Ramlıç ewes and 298 lambs born to those ewes. Mean values for fertility traits were: 87.1% for single birth rate, 12.9% for twin birth rate, 1.1 lambs for litter size, and 104.2% for lamb production. The milk yields during lactation of Ramlıç ewes aged 2, 3, and 4 years were 57.04, 57.44, and 63.40 kg, respectively; the corresponding lactation periods were 175.88, 177.64, and 178.62 days. The highest lactation milk yield and the longest lactation period were observed in the 4-year-old group, but the differences between groups were not significant (P0.05). The average body weight, withers height, rump height, chest depth, body length, and chest circumference of Ramlıç ewes were 54.19 kg, 70.90 cm, 70.45 cm, 31.89 cm, 67.94 cm, and 95.72 cm, respectively. The effect of age was significant (P0.001) for all traits investigated. Therefore, the Ramlıç breed could provide an important resource for breeders, depending on the observed levels of yield characteristics.
Özkul et al. (Sun,) studied this question.