Ochoa-Cordero, M.; Torres-Hernández., G.; Mandeville, P.; Díaz-Gómez, M.; Morón-Cedillo, F.; Meza-Herrera, C.
Description:
The aim of this study was to determine some udder morphological characteristics and some souces of variation affecting them in Merino Rambouillet ewes under stall-fed conditions (n=54, 57.010.3 kg BW, 1 to 3 lambings). The study was conducted at the Agronomy College, San Luis Potosi Autonomous University, Mexico (22° NL, 100° WL, at 1835 m, and annual means of 17.8°C and 271 mm). Evaluation considered morphological traits, collected from d-60 to d-120 post-lambing, related to udder (U) size (depth, UD; width, UW; circumference, UC), cistern (C) morphology (hight, CH; depth, CD), and those definning teat (T) size and position (width, TW; angle, TA). No differences (P>0.05) between both halves occured for any variable, observing from low to high correlations among U, C and T traits (r=0.32 to 0.73). While udder traits diminished (P