Sheep breeding objectives and selection criteria in Qom ُ s province farmers.

This study was carried out to evaluate and determine breeding objectives and selection criterias in Qom's province sheepkeepers. There were not have compelet information about this subjects later, so conduction some studies like this help them to designed ideal breeding goals and criterias for a good selection process and take economic sheep breeding in Qom's area.This study was performed on a statistical population containing about 1420 flocks with two dominance breed of sheep entitled Zandi and Kalkohi.At first all of the flocks were listed and then samples were selected by a standard randomized classified sampling method(Cochran, 1975).Number of samples were 50 in the first phase, 130 in the second phase and 180 in total. Whole of samples were quested by a questionary form that design and standardized later. Whole information collected and entered in a data bank by Excel software, then analysed by SPPS program for descriptive and digestive traits. According to the results, number of ewes, young rams and young ewes, eliminated rams, young male and female lambs that sold and eliminated young rams have a significant effect on total number of flock ( as a free variable) (p0.1). This effects were generaly affected less than 100 and between 100 to 200 ranges ( head of sheep in flock). In flocks with greater range this effects were not observed. Average total number of flock and it's SE from first phase to second were lowered by the numbers and range of this flocks were smaller. Average number of ewes in second phase were 111±8. Age distribution of ewes in flocks showed that density of young ewes(until 4 years), were higher than olders. For rams this were inverted. Anyhow this trend were not accepted. Results showed that most of flocks generaly were to kind of sheep and goat together(53%), and also most rearing activity was blended in form of keepig and fattening(43%). Meat production was the main product for Zandi breed (83%) and for Kalkohi breed wool(23%), meat and wool(18%) and meat(11%) were the main. Other main products for Zandi breed were lambing(83.9%), pelt(6%), good carcass(5%) and milk production(3%). For Kalkohi breed other main products were lambing(58.5%), good carcass(17%), milk production(13%), meat with low fat(4.6%), wool for carpet(4.6%) and fine wool(2.3%) respectively. Most of the farmers said that good breed for Qom's province at first is Zandi(81.5%) and then is Kalkohi(18.5%). The main reasons for keeping Zandi breed were produce of lambs with good carcass, good adaptation to native climate, good lambing, suitable gain and weight and keeping with economy. This reasons for Kalkohi breed were produce of fine wool, good lambs for sloughtering with good carcass(low fat percentage), good adaptation and so on. According to says of farmers their criterias for sheep taking up into flocks are appropriate breed (34.63%), coordinance to flock characteristics (25.38%), suitable age (18.46%), fit weight (1.54%) and something like these. In the most if cases farmers for buying their need sheeps refer to their experiences (85%) and only in 15 percent of cases refer to others, althouth these are not expers or scientific members in centers related. Some products that had more income for farmers were sale fattening lambs (94.62%), leaving out animals (2.3%), wool (1.54%), other types of animals in flock (0.77%) and finaly dairy products (1.27%).