A Genetic Basis for Improving the Reproductive Qualities and Productivity of South-Kazakh Merinoes

Food shortages may be among the most significant negative consequences of overpopulation. In order to meet the nutritional needs of livestock origin, the number of available animals cannot be increased; however, ways must be sought to increase production per livestock unit. Livestock breeding is the science and art of establishing genes that are effective in the economical production of livestock, which creates superior livestock and poultry. The quality of the main stock of animals, the characteristics of the initial population according to the main characteristics of breeding, biological and internal characteristics, biochemical parameters of sheep blood with different genotypes, and its economic efficiency have been studied to achieve the aim of the present study. The animal subjects in this study were the South Caucasian merino sheep (Group I) and the mixed breed sheep (male of Australian merino x female of South Kazakhstan merino) (Group II). The age-related changes in the body weight of the resulting offspring were studied by weighing them at birth and 4, 7, and 18 months of age. Moreover, external body mass measurements were taken from these animals at the same time. In addition, absolute, daily average, and relative increases in their live weight were determined based on the weighting data and the considered blood parameters. According to the results of the present investigation, relatively high values of variability coefficients of blood acid capacity, globulin content, aldolase activity, alkalinity, and acid phosphatase were reported. The levels of total protein, albumin, globulin, and haptoglobin of the second group were 7.42%, 27.64%, 12.9%, and 9.7%, respectively, which had a significant increase, compared to those in the first group (P<0.05). The scientific research data are reflected and proved in this paper, which can serve as a specific contribution to zootechnical science to use the breeding-tribal work in practice and conditions of different forms of ownership. Moreover, the results of this study can be useful in the improvement of breeding-tribal work and technology of high quality, compass well as competitive and ecologically clean sheep production in the conditions of maximum year-round seasonal use of foothill and foothill-steppe pastures in the south of Kazakhstan.