On farm phenotypic characterization of indigenous sheep in Simada and Lay gayint districts, South Gonder zone, Ethiopia

The study was carried out in Simada and Lay- Gayint districts of South Gonder Zone. The objectives were to describe and phenotypically characterize indigenous sheep populations in the study area. The body measurements were taken from 400 (280 females, 120 males) sheep. The majority of the coat colour pattern of Simada sheep was plain (57%), with the most frequently observed coat color type being light red. Similarly, 67% of the Lay-Gayint sheep had a plain coat color pattern. Majority of Simada and Lay Gayint sheep has short fat-tailed and the tail was cylindrical with the curved tip at the end. The average estimated body weight, heart girth, wither height, and body length for Simada adult male sheep were 27.45±0.18kg, 77.95±0.28 cm, 66.83±0.30cm, and 58.63±0.15cm, respectively. While that for female sheep of the same district was 24.59±0.13kg, 74.60±0.18 cm, 65.64±0.22 cm, and 57.47±0.17cm. Age of sheep had a significant (p<0.01) effect on body weight and many of the linear body measurements. In conclusion, the present morphometric information could aid future decisions on the management, conservation, and improvement of the indigenous sheep genetic resources and provide preliminary information for further research, either genotypic or molecular level characterization of sheep, which would be undertaken to investigate characteristics of the sheep type and estimate its genetic potential.The study was carried out in Simada and Lay- Gayint districts of South Gonder Zone. The objectives were to describe and phenotypically characterize indigenous sheep populations in the study area. The body measurements were taken from 400 (280 females, 120 males) sheep. The majority of the coat colour pattern of Simada sheep was plain (57%), with the most frequently observed coat color type being light red. Similarly, 67% of the Lay-Gayint sheep had a plain coat color pattern. Majority of Simada and Lay Gayint sheep has short fat-tailed and the tail was cylindrical with the curved tip at the end. The average estimated body weight, heart girth, wither height, and body length for Simada adult male sheep were 27.45±0.18kg, 77.95±0.28 cm, 66.83±0.30cm, and 58.63±0.15cm, respectively. While that for female sheep of the same district was 24.59±0.13kg, 74.60±0.18 cm, 65.64±0.22 cm, and 57.47±0.17cm. Age of sheep had a significant (p<0.01) effect on body weight and many of the linear body measurements. In conclusion, the present morphometric information could aid future decisions on the management, conservation, and improvement of the indigenous sheep genetic resources and provide preliminary information for further research, either genotypic or molecular level characterization of sheep, which would be undertaken to investigate characteristics of the sheep type and estimate its genetic potential.

On farm phenotypic characterization of indigenous sheep in Simada and Lay gayint districts, South Gonder zone, Ethiopia Keywords:

Breed , Characterization , phenotype , Lay Gayint , Simada