The work was carried out at the Centro de Pesquisa de Pecuária dos Campos Sulbrasileiros (CPPSUL) of EMBRAPA, Bagé, RS, during 1994/95 with male lambs of the Texel, Romney Marsh, Corriedale, Polwarth and Merino breeds, bom and raised up to weaning (10 weeks) on native pasture (mainly composed by de Paspalum notatum Flügge e Axonopus affïnis Chase). Growth and development up to slaughtering at 7.5 months were evaluated. After weaning, besides the native pasture, all lambs (10 per breed) werefed with a concentrate containing 17% of crude protein and 75% of dry matter basis (200 g/lamb/day), until the slaughtering age. The results showed that birth weight of breeds was similar (P>0.05); however, the liveweight at weaning and the liveweights after weaning of both Texel and Romney Marsh lambs were greater than those of Corriedale, Polwart and Merino lambs. They showed liveweights always similar. The first fourty five days after weaning, lambs of Texel, Romney Marsh and Polwarth breeds showed greater food conversion. In all genotypes, liveweight gains after 5.5 months of age had no importam contribution (in relation to time) to the slaughtering weight.
sheep; growth; development; slaughtering; genotypes
