Morphometric characterization, productive and reproductive performance of nellore palla sheep under field Conditions

The data recorded on morphometric traits, productive and reproductive performance of Nellore Palla sheep (n=347) from the farmers ’flocks in its breeding tract from January to December, 2016 were subjected to least squares analysis of variance to study the effect of villages and sex. The overall least squares means of body weights at 2, 4 and 6-tooth and full mouth ages were 35.18±0.27, 39.65±0.33, 41.18±0.56 and 45.00±0.46 kg, respectively. The overall least squares means for height at withers (HW), chest girth (CG), paunch girth (PG) and body length (BL) at 2-tooh age were 78.47±1.55, 80.82±0.66, 80.93±1.37 and 69.90±0.83 cm, respectively and the corresponding means at full mouth were 85.22±1.97, 87.17±0.58, 86.14±0.52 and 76.17±0.33 cm. The overall means for age at first mating in males and females; age at first lambing, tupping and lambing rates were 598.03±3.02, 361.54±1.09 days, 509.32±1.00 days, 81.06±1.61% and 73.37±1.53%, respectively. Body weights and linear body measurements were significantly (P<0.01) higher in rams and increased with age. The correlation coefficient among body weights and biometrical measurements were positive and significant (P<0.01) in males, while majority of the associations were positive in females. The highest coefficient 0.69 was observed between BW and HW in females of full mouth age. Significant associations among body weights and the biometric measurements in the study indicated pleiotropic effect and selection for body measurements would result in a change in body weight as well as all the other biometrical measurements in the same direction as a correlated response.