ANALYSIS OF MORPHOLOGICAL TRAITS IN BALOCHI SHEEP BREED OF BALOCHISTAN

Abstract

Balochi sheep is a popular breed of Balochistan used for meat and fleece production. This breed faces an elevated susceptibility to the annihilation of its distinctive traits due to uncontrolled and indiscriminate breeding practices. The process of phenotypic classification plays a crucial role in facilitating the sustainable utilization, conservation, and enhancement of a particular breed. The current study was conducted to evaluate the morphological attributes for conservation, rearing and breed improvement of the Balochi sheep in Balochistan. Five districts were selected for data collection included Quetta, Sibi, Mastung, Kalat, and Khuzdar. Five flocks were selected from each district, consisting of more than 250 animals. Most of the sheep population had a semi-pendulous ear direction (89.5%). In terms of ear colour, 73.5% of the sheep displayed a white tendency, while 26.5% had black. In male Balochi sheep, several typical morphological characteristics were observed, included wool fiber diameter averaging 37.47±0.06µm, body weight at 39.76±0.87 kg, height 35.20±0.13 inches, chest size of 50.16±0.74 cm, belly circumference of 55.48±0.62 cm, neck length at 7.84±0.46 cm, neck girth of 17.89±0.07 cm, testicle length 8.94±0.43 cm, and testicle diameter of 4.014±0.14 cm. Similarly, in female average values for wool fiber diameter were 37.47±0.06 µm, body weight was 34.02±0.27 kg, height 34.03±0.11 inches, chest size was 47.27±0.49 cm, belly circumference was 51.36±0.49 cm, neck length was 7.84±0.22 cm, neck girth was 17.89±0.03 cm, udder height was 7.86±0.20 cm, udder circumference was 11.83±0.3 cm, teat length was 2.99±0.00 cm, and teat diameter was 1.03±0.01 cm. The coat colour patterns of the overall phenotypes exhibited a mainly uneven distribution, with white coat colour patterns being most prevalent (95%), followed by black and brown patches. The facial head colour exhibited a predominant white pigmentation (85%) with the remaining 15% displaying a partly black shade. The distribution of nose shape among the sheep was 62% minor roman and 38% medium roman. Whereas 89.5% of sheep had an almond-shaped eye structure accompanied by black eyelashes, the remaining 10.5% displayed a brown eye colour. Our study found that 89.5% of Balochi sheep had semi-pendulous ears, 7% had pendulous ears, and 3.5% had ears that were erected upward. Moreover, coat color commonly observed predominantly white, often displaying a combination of white with black and brown patches, which was observed in around 90% of the sheep. Notably, male had horns with curved 56% and 44% straight, while females were hornless. Additionally, 86% of the sheep had legs that were predominantly white with black spots, and the neck color was mostly white, recorded in 90.5%, although some animals showed black spots on their necks. Finally, the belly color was mainly white in 90% animals, with 10% displaying black or brown spots on their bellies. The findings of the present study can be used to improve the management practices for the production and conservation of Balochi sheep breed.