Crossbreeding of Rambouillet and native sheep for mutton and wool production in Pakistan
Paper Details
Crossbreeding of Rambouillet and native sheep for mutton and wool production in Pakistan
Abstract
Pakistan has about 28 sheep breeds with a total population of 30.9 million heads found in the country. Sheep are kept primarily for mutton production but wool and skin are secondary products. Wool, which is produced in the country, is of coarse type and it is used for carpet and carpet by-products. To upgrade the local sheep in Swat valley, Rambouillet sheep were imported from USA. Out of which, Pure Rambouillet rams were distributed among the sheep farmers in Swat valley. As a result of crossbreeding, about 90% of the sheep population became crossbred. To see the impact of crossbreeding under field conditions, the basic performance data of production traits were collected and analyzed statistically. The mature body weight of sheep were increased significantly (p<0.01) from 26.32+ 0.62kg to 31.52+ 0.27kg. The fertility rate difference between the two groups was not significant (80% Vs 85%). The lamb survival rate was significantly higher 93% in crossbreed whereas it was 84% in local sheep. Wool production and quality was significantly improved about 116%. The significant (p<0.01) difference was observed in wool production which increased from 0.8 kg to 1.8kg per annum in local vs. crossbred. The quality of wool was improved from 30.32µ to 23.10µ in local and crossbred sheep, respectively.
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