Inheritance of breeding traits in Karakul sheep under different selection approaches

Abstract In the previous century, each intrabreed type of the Karakul sheep breed was characterized by significant numbers, representing a super population with rich genetic diversity. However, over time, the genetic diversity within the breed's gene pool has undergone significant depletion. At present, the Karakul breed is predominantly composed of only two small populations, distinguished by their fur colors: black and gray. Consequently, under such circumstances, genetic advancements in breeding endeavors are likely to be relatively limited, especially given the potential risk of these populations disappearing altogether in the future. Hence, the preservation and judicious utilization of the available genetic resources within the black and gray Karakul sheep populations hold paramount importance in breeding efforts. The primary objective of our research was to investigate the heritability of breeding traits among gray lambs through various selection options. The study was conducted at the “Kumkent” base farm in the Sozak district of the Kyzylorda region. Our findings revealed that the inheritance of gray and black fur colors across the different selection options occurred in a consistent ratio. In the first selection variant (a gray ram with even silver marking ♂ x a black jacket fur type ewe with intense pigmentation ♀), the proportion of gray offspring was 50.6%. Similarly, in the second selection variant (a black jacket fur type ram with intense pigmentation ♂ x a gray ewe with even silver marking ♀), the proportion of gray offspring was 49.6%. The percentage of black lambs obtained in both selection options was nearly equivalent, with 49.4% and 50.4% in the first and second variants, respectively.