الفهرس 
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Abstract
Objectives: The main objectives of the present study were to evaluate the intensive and rural (non-intensive) rearing conditions effect on growing lambs’ performance and wool characteristics of Rahmany sheep.Methods & Results: A total of 40 lambs at the age of one year were used from intensive and rural rearing systems (20 lamb each, of equal male and female number). The folk of intensive system was housed at a governmental station located in El-Serw, Damietta city, Egypt. The rural folk was owned by householder located in the same area of the city. The wool sample represents the first shearing harvested from the northern shoulder area of the lambs and used to investigate some wool measurements. The main results generally showed that the studied rearing systems showed no significant differences for lambs’ birth weights, while, the intensive rearing system enhanced significantly (P <0.05) lambs’ daily weight gain. Lambs weights at age of year and the total weight gain in the intensive system were significantly (P <0.05) higher than rural system lambs. The growth performance was significantly (P <0.05) differ between lambs’ genders as affected by the studied rearing systems. As expected, intensive male lambs showed the highest significant (P <0.05) daily weight gain, weight at age of year and total weight gain. The rearing system insignificantly affected the lambs’ fibre length growth, while affected significantly (P <0.05) the clean wool yield, fibre diameter and crimp/cm of lambs. Moreover, the rearing system affected significantly (P <0.05) the lambs’ staple strength, point of break and elongation rate, while no effect on staple length was detected. However, the clean wool yield, fibres and staple characteristics were significantly (P <0.05) differ between lambs’ genders as affected by the studied rearing system. Moreover, the male and female lambs of intensive rearing system showed obvious positive differences in the fibre histological structure compared with the rural rearing system lambs. Additionally, the intensive rearing system showed significantly (P<0.05) higher concentrations of some wool macro and micro-elements (C, Na, S, Al and Zn) compared with the wool of rural reared lambs. In the other side, the rural rearing system contents significantly (P<0.05) higher Cu and Mn concentrations than the wool of intensive rearing system lambs. Regarding the heavy metals, the obtained results cleared that the highest significant (P <0.05) wool concentrations of heavy metals (As, Pb, Cr and Ni) were found in the case of rural rearing system. Conclusion: from the present results it could be showed that these stations that performed as intensive production system reflected significant enhancement in lambs’ growth and some wool traits, as a results of better management strategies, mainly the feed quality and quantity as well as the surrounding environmental conditions. Based on evidence of the positive results detected for the intensive rearing system in this research, it is recommended that certain animals management and rearing programs to make a significant contribution towards improving smallholder livestock production should be designed and implemented, taking into account different opportunities and challenges facing the livestock smallholders.