The methods of coming up with the Awassi breed is through the in vivo fertilization of local sheep breeds. The method has been employed to improve the productivity and reproduction of the native breeds. In fact, the Awassi breed has the highest average weight among the available sheep and has recorded the highest fertility and milk production levels. As thus, the process of crossbreeding to come up with the breed was pivotal in coming up with these aspects of the sheep. In the next paper, the study employs the use of ultrasonography in assessing the difference in live weights between live and dead Awassi breeds. The concept involves the subjection of the sheep to radiations that may be detrimental to the health of the affected sheep. In addition these sheep are later killed to measure the weight of the carcasses.

The use of selective breeding despite having its advantages has numerous limitations that may have detrimental effects on the sheep’s health and even on nature. One of these disadvantages is the inhibition of evolution associated with the repetition of the process. Whenever the sheep are crossed to form the Awassi breed, some alleles that may have otherwise been introduced into the sheep are inhibited. In so doing, the sheep end up losing most of the important traits that should have been passed on in new generations. Moreover, there is also a likelihood of mutation of harmful pathogens and the same passed onto new generations. Nevertheless, the process could also help in the eradication of some of these pathogens.

The use of selective breeding is also potentially detrimental to the animals involved in the process of inbreeding. There is a risk of having severe mutations leading to the failure of the desired traits being achieved. In some instances, some of the animals have ended up being unable to eat. This means that the natural sources of nutrients for these animals may then not be as effective as they were before the inbreeding. Moreover, the process is time consuming because the researcher must take due time before confirming that certain traits have been passed on perfectly or as desired.

The use of ultrasound in obtaining data on the differences between the weights of live sheep and their carcasses is widely used in the research above. Despite the gains in technology and the accuracy and effectiveness of the procedure, it has its limitations and disadvantages (Orman et al, pp 1033). One limitation is the fact that the procedure is not fully accurate and is dependent on the operator. As thus there could be discrepancies in the nature of the data collected regarding the images of the Awassi sheep. The use of ultrasound may further have negative consequences on the health of the affected sheep and may even lead to the incidence of cancer in the sheep. The same is true for people that feed on the sheep’s products such as milk and mutton.

Results from the two studies show an effectiveness of the two processes in assessing both the productivity and live weights of the Awassi sheep. In particular, the application of ultrasound techniques in different live weights is useful in predicting the carcass value of individual lambs. Further, the technique is also effective in grading the lambs and getting insight of the potential meat output for specific lambs before they are slaughtered.

Works cited

Orman, Abdülkadir, G. Ülke Çalışkan, Serdal Dikmen, Hakan Üstüner, M. Mustafa Ogan, and Çağlar Çalışkan. “The Assessment of Carcass Composition of Awassi Male Lambs by Real-time Ultrasound at Two Different Live Weights.” Meat Science 80.4 (2008): 1031-036. Web.

 
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