15-Title: Descriptive analysis of growth and conformation traits of indigenous sheep of North-Eastern Himalayan region

Authors: Dimpi Khanikar, Arundhati Phookan, Dhireswar Kalita, GalibUz Zaman, Arpana Das, Jakir Hussain, Deep Prakash Saikia and Sourabh Deori

Source: Ruminant Science (2020)-9(2):283-290.

How to cite this manuscript: Khanikar Dimpi, Phookan Arundhati, Kalita Dhireswar, Zaman GalibUz, Das Arpana, Hussain Jakir, Saikia DP and Deori Sourabh (2020). Descriptive analysis of growth and conformation traits of indigenous sheep of North-Eastern Himalayan region. Ruminant Science 9(2):283-290.

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out to study the growth and conformation traits of indigenous sheep in the state of Meghalaya in India. Data pertaining to the body weight (BW), body length (BL), height at withers (HW), chest girth (CG), neck girth (NG), head length (HL), head breadth (HB), horn length (HR), ear length (EL) and tail length (TL) at different ages were collected by visiting the breeding tracts in two different districts. Data obtained were subjected to least-squares analysis of variance technique. Least-squares means (LSM) for body weight was found to be 2.917±0.017, 12.149±0.056, 15.074±0.055 and 20.217±0.050 kg at birth, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months respectively. The LSM for BL, HW, CG, NG, HL, HB, EL and TL were recorded as 38.79±0.081, 37.956±0.088, 46.130±0.086, 23.802±0.087, 10.640±0.068, 7.104±0.063,7.865±0.059 and 11.891±0.060 cm at birth; 46.19±0.055, 47.115±0.056, 56.49±0.047, 29.330±0.056, 12.337±0.045, 8.899±0.039, 8.814±0.042 and 14.065±0.035cm at 3 months; 52.25±0.097, 54.663±0.051, 61.52±0.072,31.364±0.057,13.723±0.046, 8.706±0.045, 8.837±0.041 and 15.070±0.032cm at 6 months and 56.19±0.031, 57.053±0.061, 72.48±0.104, 36.189 ±0.044, 14.989±0.033, 10.809±0.033, 10.281±0.031 and 14.937±0.029 cm at 12 months of age. LSM for HR at 12 months of age was 7.305±0.079 cm. Significant effect of sex was observed on most of the traits studied except for HL and TL. Males showed higher averages compared to females. The location had a significant effect on all the traits except horn length. Sheep belonging to East Khasi Hills showed higher values than West Khasi Hills at different ages for all the traits except for neck girth at birth.

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