ABSTRACT
Sheep produetion system for the coastal strip of the mediterranean arid zone of Chile. II. Animal produetion

Raúl Meneses R.1, Christian Crempien L.2 y Fernando Squella N.2
 

From 1981 to 1987 at Los Vilos Subexperimental Station (INIA, Chile 31°52' lat. S; 71°28' long. W) a sheep production system was evaluated. The objective of this analyses is to evaluate the sheep production response. The system included 45 ha of natural pasture and 17.7 ha of natural pasture reinfoTced with Atriplex nummularia and Atriplex repanda. These resource were used by Australian Merino sheep. The breeding time occurred between December-February, lambing during JuneJuly and shearing in October. Body weight, body condition and wool growth were evaluated every 28 days. Although no relation between body condition and heat presentation were found, higher sheep number, with better body condition were breeding at the first heat than second. Birth weight were 60g higher for each 0.1 unid of body condition. Birth weight gain between birth and 100 days were 0.185 and 0.194 kg/day for male and female, respectively. Woollenght average was 6.77 and 7.01 cm for ewe and ewe lamb respectively. The average meat sale and wool production were 16.87 kg/ha and 3.56 kg/ha, respectively.

Keywords:
1 Subestación Experimental Los Vilos (INIA), Casilla 40, Los Vilos. Chile.,
2 Estación Experimental La Platina (INIA), Casilla 439, Correo 3, Santiago, Chile.