This study was carried out to investigate the fertility and milk production characteristics of F1 ewes, which were produced by the mating of Kıvırcık ewes with Chios rams, in comparison with purebred Kıvırcık and Turkish Merino ewes.
The rate of ewes lambing and litter size were 69.05% and 1.31 for Sakız x Kıvırcık (F1) ewes, 72.63% and 1.40 for Kıvırcık ewes and 81.41% and 1.36 for Turkish Merino ewes. The milk production and lactation lengths determined in this study for Sakız x Kıvırcık (F1), Kıvırcık and Turkish Merino ewes were 85.61 kg and 137 days, 82.85 kg and 135 days and 97.02 kg and 141 days, respectively.
When the results of this study are evaluated, it was concluded that in terms of the litter size and milk yield the Sakız x Kıvırcık (F,) ewes at early ages were higher than the Kıvırcık ewes at the same ages and were similar to Turkish Merino ewes. With regard to the general flock averages the F1 ewes at early ages were found to be similar to Kıvırcık and Turkish Merino ewes.