Pugal sheep: 1. Growth, Wool production and Wool quality parameters under field conditions

Data on Pugal sheep with respect to growth, wool production and wool quality were recorded in field conditions. The overall least squares means of body weights at birth, 3, 6, 12 month age and in adults and greasy fleece weights in first, second and third clips of a year were 2.62±0.01, 17.70±0.05, 23.67±0.09, 29.62±0.26 and 39.04±0.26 kg and 558, 513 and 549 g, respectively. The effect of sex was found to be highly significant (P<0.01) on all body weights and clips. The males maintained higher weights at all stages and produced heavier greasy fleece weights in all the clips than females. The body weights of this breed were found quite comparable with Magra breed, which is found together with Pugal sheep animals in the flocks. The average annual wool production (total of three clips) was recorded to be around 1.6 kg and it was higher than the average wool production of Rajasthan state (i.e. 1.5 kg). The least squares means of wool quality traits viz. fiber diameter, hetro fibers, hairy fibers, medullation, staple length and crimp were 34.42±0.45μ, 28.19±0.67%, 30.94±1.22%, 59.14±1.37%, 6.07±0.0.13 cm and 0.77±0.03/cm, respectively. The wool quality did not differ in two sexes. The wool quality parameters indicated that wool was suitable for carpet preparation. However, the magnitude of hairy fibers was on higher side, which needs to be reduced through proper selection of breeding rams.