Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, Himachal Pradesh, India
1SMS Animal Science, Krishi Vigyan Kendra Sundernagar, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya
Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed on 12 biometric traits of Rampur-Bushair sheep of Himachal Pradesh. Morphological and biometrical observations were recorded on 162 young and 566 adult animals. Multivariate statistics and principal component analysis revealed that body measurements except for peripheral traits were mostly positively and significantly correlated. The correlation among conformation traits ranged from-0.08 to 0.79 and “0.18 to 0.71 in young and adult sheep respectively. Three and four factors were extracted in young and adult sheep respectively, which accounted for 57% and 61% of variation. The principal component extracted contributed effectively to explain general body conformation. The regression analysis suggested that use of principal component was more appropriate than the use of original correlated variable in estimating body weights. Therefore, factor extracted could be helpful in breeding programme with sufficient reduction in the number of biometric traits to be recorded to explain the body conformation.
Biometrical traits, Phenotypic characterization, Principal component analysis, Rampur-Bushair sheep
