Growth and Physical Body Characteristics of Gumuz Sheep under Traditional Management Systems in Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

摘要

AstudytocharacterizeGumuzsheepbreedwasconductedatMetemadistrictoftheAmharaNationalRegionalState,Ethiopia.FarmersinMetemaareareardifferentbreedsofsheepsuchasGumuz,Rutanaandhighlandsheep,incombinationaswellassole.However,most(68.9%)rearGumuzsheepalone.TheflocksizeforonlyGumuzsheeprearingfarmerswas13.2headsofsheep.Gumuzsheepisathintailedshorthairedsheep.Themostcommoncoatcolorpatterninbothmaleandfemalesheepwasplain(47.7%;60%inmalesand41%infemales)withvaryingcolours.Whitecoatcolourwascommonfollowedbymixtureofred-brownwithwhiteinmaleswhilethemixtureofred-brownwithwhitewasthedominantcolourinfemales.Mostsheep(93%)hadconvexheadprofile.Wattleandhornwereonlypresenton2.9%and13.8(onlyonmales),respectively.Most(63.8%)ofthemaleshadruff.Theyhadlongandsemipendulousears.Themeanmaturebodyweight(kg)obtainedwas31.4and34.6forfemalesandmales,respectively.Theaveragebodylength(cm)obtainedwere67.0and68.3,heightatwither(cm)were63.6and67.3andchestgirth(cm)were76.1and78.0formaturefemalesandmales,respectively.Theaveragebirthweight,onemonthweightandadjustedweaningweightwere2.79±0.03kg,6.57±0.18kgand12.5±0.23kg,respectively.Birthweightwassignificantlyaffectedbyparityofthedam,typeofbirthandsexoflamb.Weaningweightwasaffectedbysexoflambonly.ThegrowthcurvefitteddepictsthatGumuzsheepattainedtheirmatureweightaround1and1.5yearsofage.Ingeneral,Gumuzsheepisoneofthemostimportantsheepbreedswithbetterbodysizeandgrowthperformanceadaptedtotheharshclimaticconditionsofthecountry.Effortsthatcouldmakewiseutilizationofthisgeneticresourceshouldbeacknowledged.