article · Heliyon
Accurate physical characterisation of indigenous livestock is vital for establishing effective conservation and breeding initiatives. Morphological diversity was evaluated across six indigenous Ethiopian sheep breeds, comprising three fat-tailed and three thin-tailed populations. Evaluation relied on live body weight alongside nine linear physical measurements, including body length, wither height, chest girth, chest depth, rump dimensions, ear length, tail length, and pelvic width. Statistical assessments revealed significant phenotypic differences among the evaluated breeds. Multivariate analyses successfully categorised the animals into distinct groups, with distance measurements confirming statistically significant divergences between the breeds. These morphometric findings deliver structured baseline data to guide future breeding improvement schemes, herd management practices, and targeted conservation strategies for regional sheep genetic resources.
Indigenous sheep breeds possess unique traits adapted to local environments. Morphological data allows agricultural planners and communities to distinguish between unique populations. By defining the physical boundaries of these distinct breeds, conservation programmes and selective breeding initiatives can target specific livestock groups effectively, ensuring genetic diversity is preserved while supporting local food security and rural livelihoods.
This research provides early-stage baseline phenotypic data rather than an immediate commercial product. The findings could inform livestock managers, agricultural development agencies, and breeding programme designers seeking to select or preserve specific indigenous sheep populations. Moving from characterisation to practical use will require applying these morphological profiles within structured regional breeding or conservation programmes, which remains at an early developmental stage.
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Characterization of indigenous sheep breeds using morphological traits is essential for designing rational conservation and improvement strategies. This study was conducted to check the morphological diversity of three fat-tailed and three thin-tailed indigenous sheep breeds of Ethiopia. The phenotypic traits such as live body weight and linear body measurements (body length, wither height, chest girth, chest depth, rump height, rump length, ear length, tail length, and pelvic width) were measured and used for analysis. The statistical analysis was done using different procedures of SAS 9.4. Analysis of variance showed significant variation between breeds. Multivariate analyses clearly assigned the studied sheep breeds into distinct populations. Mahalanobis distance showed significant (p < 0.01) difference between breeds. The present morphometric information obtained could support future decision-making on the management, conservation, and improvement of the studied sheep genetic resources.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07472
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