Data were obtained on 3028 lambs born during five successive years from 1961 to 1966 at Ras El-Hekma Desert Research Station in the Western Coastal Egyptian Desert. Breed groups involved in the study were Hungarian Merino, Syrian Awassi, native Barki sheep, and nine of their crosses. The characters studied were birth weight, weaning and yearling weights, pre-and post-weaning average daily gain and yearling greasy fleece weight. The effects of breed group, year of birth, sex, age of dam and type of birth on these characters were investigated. The results obtained showed that Barki lambs excelled Merino lambs in all the traits related to body growth. Merino lambs, on the other hand, excelled Barkis in fleece weight. Barki lambs also excelled Awassi lambs in all traits except birth and weaning weights. In all characters except pre-weaning gain, the first cross of Merino and Barki (^M^B) was markedly superior to all the other crosses and pure breeds. The two third-crosses, | M | B and | M | B , were similar to each other in their productive traits and were slightly inferior to the first cross. The two back-crosses, 4:M£B and fM^B, were markedly different from each other, the former being better than the latter. The three-eighths Merino group is suggested for developing a new strain of sheep for the semi-arid regions. The effects of the environmental factors on the six characters studied were all highly significant except for the effect of sex on fleece weight and the effects of age of dam and type of birth on growth from weaning to yearling ages. The most important factor affecting the different traits was year of birth. Type of birth and age of dam were important sources of variation only for the characters studied till weaning age, but became of little importance thereafter. The effect of sex was pronounced only on yearling weight.

Body weights at birth, 90 days, 180 days and 1 year of age were analysed in 620 calves, the offspring of sires of the Friesian, Jersey and Simmental breeds, and of dams of three indigenous zebu breeds, namely Barka, Boran and Horro, at four diverse locations in Ethiopia.Breed of sire, breed of dam and location all significantly affected weight. Progeny of Friesian and Simmental sires were similar in weight but both were heavier than the progeny of Jersey sires, their weight being, respectively, 25·0,24·9 and 21·2 kg at birth; 88·0, 84·6 and 74·9 kg at 90 days; 151·7, 150·6 and 135·4 kg at weaning at 180 days; and 220·6,224·8 and 193·3 kg at 365 days. Barka crosses were heaviest and Horro lightest. Mean weight for progeny from Barka, Boran and Horro dams was, respectively, 24·0, 24·6 and 22·5 kg at birth; 85·2, 83·8 and 78·5 kg at 90 days; 149·6, 148·0 and 140·1 kg at 180 days; and 233·7, 208·1 and 196/9 kg at 365 days. Dam breed × location interaction was significant except at birth, and sire breed × dam breed and sire breed × location interaction were significant at 90 days of age. In a comparison of Friesian and Simmental, the Friesian sires interacted relatively more favourably with the Barka dams, and the Simmental with the Boran. The Jersey was also relatively better with the Boran crosses, compared with either the Barka or the Horro crosses. By 1 year of age Jersey crosses were at a relative (but insignificant) advantage in body weight at the hottest location.

SUMMARYThe Fayoumi (Oasis/Province of Fayotimi) or Ramadi (village of Dar-el-Ramad) breed of chicken is said to have been introduced into this area in the early part of the 19th century; phenotypically it recalls the Silver Campine from which it is reputed to descend. A hardy and well adapted breed it was saved through the creation of the Fayoumi Poultry Research Station in 194é, which also assured an active improvement policy of the breed. The creation in 1958 of the Fayoumi Poultry Cooperative Society further strengthened the conservation of the breed and its use through distribution of genetic material to farmers and smallholders of the Fayoumi province. Since the early é0's the breed is reported to have been successfully introduced to countries as different as the UK and the USA, Vietn@ Iraq, Pakistan and India. Its adaptability and resistance to the problems of xyrotherrnic tropical and sub-tropical conditions is confirmed by its actual prevalence in Southern Egypt.

A total number of 5949 birth records collected over a period of 9 years from a crossbreeding experiment at Sakha Animal Research Station were used in this study. The following breeding groups were included: Fleisch Merino (M), native Ossimi (0) and Barki (B) breeds, MO, MB, J M J O , | M J B and the inter se mating groups of the backcrosses (' JM £ O' and ' | M £ B'). Productive traits studied were birth, 4-month and yearling weight, lamb liveability at 4 months of age; and first fleece weight (at 10 months of age).Generally, the cross-bred lambs were heavier in body weights and sheared more wool than the pure breds, with the differences being almost significant. In liveability, native breeds showed significantly higher estimates than the cross-breds where the Merino breed was the poorest in this respect. Merino x Ossimi first cross was the best breed group showing a high heterosis estimate of 0-9, 5-2, 10-3, 7-6, 0-9 and 0-7 kg in birth, 4-month, yearling males and females body weights and first fleece weight, respectively. They were followed by J M £ O with a corresponding heterosis value of 0-8, 3-9, 7-4, 4-2, 0-5 and 0-5 kg respectively. Merino x Barki and their backcrosses to Merino are ranked second to the Ossimi crosses. Heterosis in the Barki backcross was 0-8, 2-9, 4-8, 2-1, 0-4 and 0-4 kg compared with 0-5, 2-5, 3-1, 2-7, 0-5, 0-4 kg for MB, on different traits, respectively. The interbreeding of the backcrosses caused a diminishing in hybrid vigour. Heterosis estimates in ' f M £ O' were 0-3, 0-9, 4-6, 2-3, 0-3 and 0-3 kg, whereas it was 0-1, 0-3, -0 -1 , -0-3, 0-0 and 0-1 kg for ' J M J B', in different traits respectively. All cross-breds showed negligible or/and negative heterosis in lamb liveability up to 4 months.The effects of breed group, year of birth, age of dam, sex and type of birth were found to be highly significant on all traits except the effect of type of birth on lamb liveability.

The effects of breed type and season on semen quality and libido were examined. Tests were carried out in autumn, winter, spring and summer using 47 rams of five breeding groups, namely the the Fleisch Merino, the Ossimi, the first cross and the two parental backcrosses. All the rams were born and reared locally.Except for the percentage of abnormal sperm cells and time to first mount, semen quality and libido were not affected by breed type. There was little consistent evidence of heterosis in any of the traits examined. All traits except time to first mount were significantly affected by season. Semen was of better quality in autumn and spring than in winter and summer. With one exception all aspects of libido were depressed in winter.Breed × season interactions were significant in six of the 10 traits studied but showed no consistent trends.The reproductive performance of Merino rams was not adversely affected by the environment. This indicates the feasibility of introducing new breeds so far as semen quality and male libido are concerned.

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SUMMARYData were collected from 549 Barki and Merino cross sheep during 1967, 1968 and 1969 to study the relation between kemp production and body vigour. The study also included the staple length and greasy fleece weight. The results showed that:Age had a marked effect on the traits studied. Whereas kemp frequency (score) declined slightly as age proceeded, showing a significant reduction in the seventh shearing season, the staple length and fleece weight decreased after the second shearing season.Differences due to sex, year and breed occurred, though the pattern differed in the different traits.Kemp showed a highly significant correlation with birth and weaning weights, as indicating the animal vigour, and was negatively correlated with fleece weight.Staple length was negatively correlated with birth and weaning weights and positively correlated with fleece weight.Fleece weight was positively correlated to birth and weaning weights and negatively correlated to kemp score.Kemp score in the Barki sheep was shown to be quite repeatablo (repeatability = 0·5).

SUMMARYA study using 1150 lambs to estimate genetic and phenotypic parameters of some weight and fleece traits was carried out on coarse-wool Barki sheep. The weight traits were birth, weaning, yearling weights and daily gains whereas fleece traits included kemp score, staple length and greasy-fleece weight.Heritability estimates of weight traits were within the range 0·25–0·30. Those of fleece traits were 0·16, 0·21 and 0·43. The repeatability estimates of fleece traits were 0·18, 0·38 and 0·53 for staple length, greasy-fleece weight and kemp score respectively.Phenotypic correlations between body weight and fleece traits were mostly positive. Genetic correlations between greasy-fleece weight and body weights were mostly positive and of medium values. Those between kemp score and body weights were mostly negative, ranging from medium-high to high.