Breeding Perspective and Analysis of Utility Parameters of the Suffolk Sheep Breed

Abstract Due to insufficient appreciation for the breeding of dairy sheep, breeds of sheep without market milk production have started to gain popularity in Slovakia. Particularly, meat breeds are coming to the forefront, with their breeding being less demanding and more efficient, reflected mainly in the daily weight gains of growing lambs. Study aimed to analyse the utility and reproductive parameters of breeding the meat breeds Suffolk, located in central Slovakia, in the Rimavská Sobota district. Analysis is supplemented by a detailed description of the breed standard and devotes attention to all the tasks carried out on the farm during the sheep farming year. It focuses mainly on a simple year-round grazing system without housing, utilizing only shelters for protection against adverse weather conditions. Analysed utility and reproductive parameters such as average daily gains, loin muscle thickness, backfat thickness, and fertility were compared and evaluated over the last seven years. Results indicate that the evaluated parameters are mainly influenced by the size of the flock, the number of ewes put to ram, the individual approach to each breeding ewe, and environmental factors. Number of offspring is mainly influenced by the nutrition of the dam in the last third of pregnancy. Despite the simplicity of the breeding system, monitored breeding can achieve above-average results with proper management and innovative approaches.