Desempenho de Ovinos Bergamácia na Região de Brasília

Abstract

Data collected from 1982 to 1999, in Brasília, DF, Brazil, on 1102 head of Brazilian Bergamasca sheep were analyzed to obtain information on performance of the breed in the region. Average lambing interval was 337.94±109.4, but under continuous mating, the average lowered to 282.1days. Ewe lambing rate was 90.13%, frequency of twins 12.63%, number of triplets negligible and sex ratio 1:1. Lambing occurred in all months of the year. Age at first lambing was 588.58±65.31days. Average birth, 3,6 and 12-month weights were highly influenced by sex, year and month of birth and lambing type. Mortality from birth to 4 days of age was 6.62% and from 5 days to 90, 22.96%, and was highly dependent upon the year of birth, lambing type and birth weight. Average fleece weight production was 1.28kg and the highest fleece weights were obtained in the second and third shearing. Samples of wool diameter averaged 30.8 and 38.0 micra, with high coefficient of variation. The flock does not conform to the racial standards defined in Italy and Brazil for productive parameters but it reached similar levels to those of the hair sheep breeds raised in the Brazilian tropics.