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Texel Sheep: Characteristics, Meat Quality and Production
abril 6, 2026Knowing the productive and reproductive parameters of sheep is essential for evaluating the performance of your flock, setting realistic targets, making informed management decisions and identifying animals that are underperforming. This guide presents the key reference values you need as a producer.

Reproductive Parameters in Sheep
Puberty and First Breeding
- Puberty in ewe lambs: 5ā10 months of age (varies by breed ā meat breeds earlier, wool breeds later)
- Recommended age at first mating: 7ā10 months, or when ewe lamb reaches 60ā65% of adult body weight
- Puberty in ram lambs: 5ā7 months
- Recommended age at first use of ram: 8ā12 months
Estrus and Breeding Season
- Estrous cycle length: 14ā19 days (average 17 days)
- Duration of estrus: 24ā36 hours
- Ovulation: Occurs 12ā24 hours after the onset of estrus
- Breeding season (temperate breeds): Autumnāwinter (short-day breeders ā triggered by decreasing photoperiod)
- Tropical and hair breeds: Year-round polyestrous ā breed in any season
- Ram:ewe ratio (natural service): 1 ram per 30ā40 ewes (young rams) or 1:50ā60 (experienced rams)
Gestation and Lambing
- Gestation length: 144ā152 days (average 147 days)
- Prolificacy (lambing rate): Varies by breed and management
- Hair breeds (Dorper, Katahdin, Santa Ines): 150ā200%
- Meat breeds (Suffolk, Hampshire): 140ā175%
- Wool breeds (Merino, Corriedale): 100ā140%
- High-prolificacy breeds (Romanov, Finn): 200ā300%
- Perinatal lamb mortality: Target below 5%; acceptable below 10%
- Pre-weaning lamb mortality: Target below 8%

Growth and Meat Production Parameters
Birth and Growth
- Birth weight:
- Single lambs: 4ā6 kg
- Twins: 3ā4.5 kg each
- Triplets: 2.5ā3.5 kg each
- Weaning age: 60ā90 days (60 days in intensive systems; 90 days in extensive)
- Weaning weight: 12ā20 kg (depends on breed, litter size and nutrition)
- Average daily gain (ADG):
- Pre-weaning: 150ā300 g/day
- Post-weaning on pasture: 100ā200 g/day
- Post-weaning in feedlot: 250ā400 g/day
- Feed conversion ratio (FCR) in feedlot: 4ā6 kg feed per kg live weight gain
Slaughter Data
- Slaughter weight:
- Light lambs (lechale/milk lamb): 8ā14 kg live weight
- Medium lambs: 25ā35 kg live weight
- Heavy lambs: 40ā55 kg live weight
- Dressing percentage: 44ā54% (higher for meat breeds, lower for wool breeds)
- Age at slaughter: 3ā6 months for light/medium lambs; up to 12 months for heavy lambs
- Ideal slaughter age: When daily gain starts to decline and fat deposition increases ā typically at 60ā70% of expected adult weight
Milk Production Parameters
- Meat breeds (for lamb rearing only): 1ā2 liters/day (enough for twins)
- Dual-purpose breeds (Corriedale, Manchega): 100ā200 liters per lactation
- Dairy breeds (Frisona Milchschaf, East Friesian, Lacaune): 400ā800 liters per 180-day lactation
- Butterfat content of sheep milk: 5ā8% (much higher than cow milk)
- Protein content of sheep milk: 4.5ā6%
- Lactation length (dairy breeds): 150ā240 days
Wool Production Parameters
- Annual fleece weight:
- Merino ewes: 3ā6 kg greasy; rams: 5ā10 kg greasy
- Corriedale: 3ā5 kg
- Rambouillet: 4ā6 kg
- Down breeds (Suffolk, Hampshire): 2ā4 kg
- Fiber diameter:
- Fine wool (Merino): 15ā22 microns
- Medium wool (Corriedale, Rambouillet): 22ā30 microns
- Coarse wool (Down breeds): 28ā35 microns
- Staple length: 70ā120 mm per year (shearing once annually)
- Shearing frequency: Once or twice per year

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Sheep Operations
Use these KPIs to benchmark your operation and identify areas for improvement:
- Lambs weaned per ewe mated: Target 1.2ā1.6 (depends on breed and system)
- Kg of lamb weaned per ewe per year: Target 25ā45 kg in meat systems
- Reproductive rate (% ewes that lambed / ewes mated): Target above 90%
- Empty rate (% ewes that did not become pregnant): Target below 5%
- Lamb survival to weaning: Target above 90%
- Annual culling rate: Typically 15ā25% of the ewe flock replaced each year
Recording these parameters for every animal in your flock with OvinApp allows you to automatically calculate KPIs, identify which ewes are consistently productive and which should be culled ā turning data into better management decisions and higher profitability.

