Rearing practices, morphological characteristics and growth performance of Muzaffarnagari sheep in its home tract
2012
Dass, Gopal | Mandal, Ajoy | Rout, P.K. | Roy, R.
A survey was conducted to study the rearing practices, morphological characteristics and growth performance of Muzaffarnagari sheep in the breeding tract. Data on 512 sheep of either sex pertaining to different age groups were recorded. The results revealed that flocks were mainly maintained by Pal/Gadaria and Khatik communities on extensive system. Lambing and breeding were recorded round the year in the flocks. Animals were shorn twice a year using hand scissors. Overall means for body length, height at withers, chest girth and tail length of lambs (0â1 month old) ranged from 25â28, 32â35, 35â57 and 21â37 cm, respectively. The corresponding figures ranged from 49â55, 55â61, 53â63, 36â44 cm in 1â3 month, 53â60, 59â63, 61â70 and 42â43 cm in 3â6 month, 63â71, 68â76, 65â75 and 42â45 cm in 6â9 month, 80â83, 73â79, 79â81 and 50â54 cm in 9â12 month age groups and 79â86, 80â87, 82â89 and 54â52 cm in adult sheep. The least squares means of body weight were recorded as 6.32, 14.80, 19.82, 22.75, 25.57 and 42.33 kg, respectively in the corresponding age groups. Effect of sex was highly significant (P0.01) on body weights in all age group except 0â1 month.
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