Abstract: Texel rams had been used to improve the mixed Meng-ha sheep. For both hybrid sheep and local sheep, with the same conditions of breeding and management, the average body weight at slaughter of the six-month-aged lamb of Texel×Meng-ha F1 was 12.24 kg higher than those of contemporary mixed Meng-ha sheep, 6.66 kg higher in body weight and 5.87 kg higher in net meat weight, the differences of which were all obviously significant (P＜0.01); its hind leg weight was increased by 1.67 kg, the eye muscle area was 8.13 cm², 1.8 times than that of the mixed Meng-ha sheep, and the difference was significant (P＜0.05).The body weight of Texel×Meng-ha F1 made the grade as those of the overseas prime lamb, both the high-quality meat rate and flesh-bone ratio were higher than that of the mixed Meng-ha sheep, meat was delicate and soft, and the meat quality had been improved greatly. The meat production of each hybrid lamb had just got 168.60 yuan in excess of the mixed Meng-ha sheep and the economic benefits was obviously. The results showed that it had a favorable effect on the improvement of meat production performance and meat quality and the economic profits to keep sheep using Texel rams to improve the mixed Meng-ha sheep.

Key words: Texel sheep; crossbreeding; the mixed Meng-ha sheep; the meat productive performance; economic benefit