Two-Generation Crossbreeding of White-Headed Suffolk and Small-Tailed Han Sheep: Heterosis, Sustainable Production Traits, and Morphological Features in Central China

Two-Generation Crossbreeding of White-Headed Suffolk and Small-Tailed Han Sheep: Heterosis, Sustainable Production Traits, and Morphological Features in Central China

To address the bottleneck in meat production efficiency within China’s mutton sheep industry, this study established a two-generation crossbreeding program between WHS rams and STH ewes. Hybrid offspring (F1 and BC1) were evaluated for growth performance, slaughter traits, meat quality, and reproduc...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kai Quan, Jun Li, Haoyuan Han, Kun Liu, Huibin Shi, Huihua Wang, Meilin Jin, Wei Sun, Caihong Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
crossbreeding
heterosis
meat quality
small-tailed Han sheep
white-headed Suffolk sheep
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/7/1071
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Summary:To address the bottleneck in meat production efficiency within China’s mutton sheep industry, this study established a two-generation crossbreeding program between WHS rams and STH ewes. Hybrid offspring (F1 and BC1) were evaluated for growth performance, slaughter traits, meat quality, and reproductive performance. The F1 generation exhibited significant improvements over STH in 6-month body weight (52.3 kg, +27.3%), dressing percentage (56.1%, +6.3%), and feed efficiency ratio (FER) of 4.6 (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The BC1 generation shows a mixed state of paternal and maternal characteristics and further enhanced these traits, achieving a 6-month body weight of 55.2 kg (+5.4% vs. F1), a dressing percentage of 58.3%, and an optimized gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) of 4.2 (−8.7%). Meat quality parameters, including shear force (32.5 N vs. 41.6 N in F1 vs. STH) and intramuscular fat content (4.5% vs. 3.8% in F1 vs. STH), demonstrated superior tenderness and marbling. Despite a decline in lambing rate (F1: 178%; BC1: 142%), the hybrids combined the dam’s adaptability with the sire’s meat traits, forming a novel germplasm for sustainable mutton production. This study provides a replicable model for balancing genetic improvement and ecological sustainability in central China.
ISSN:2076-2615

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