Factors affecting live weight and body condition score at lambing and weaning of Ojinegra sheep in commercial flocks.

For conservation and utilization of livestock local breeds is necessary to characterize and quantify both productive system and genetic potential of the breed. Profitability of farm production is always studied under economic parameters, but hardly under productive. A study was carried out to determine factors affecting live weight (LW) and body condition score (BCS), both at partum and at weaning, of the Ojinegra sheep breed under productive conditions. LW and BCS at partum, at weaning and its variation were influenced by the age of the animal, by the season of parturition, and by the farm (p<=0.05). BCS was also affected by birth rate, but only at partum and the variation of BCS along lactation (p<0.05). The farm itself was a determinant factor, representing up to 48% of variability in some parameters. Variation among farms might be explained both by management particularities and/or herd genetic heterogeneity.