Exploring Morphological Variations in Eşme and Pırlak Sheep Raised in Breeder’s Conditions

Abstract

Objective: The study was conducted to identify body measurements that can serve as selection criteria in breeding programs for Eşme and Pırlak sheep breeds. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the phenotypic correlation between live weight and body measurements. Material and Methods: The animal materials of both breeds were obtained from farms that are considered multiplier flocks in the breeding programs. The animal material used in this study consists of a total of 612 sheep, including 311 Eşme sheep from three breeders and 301 Pırlak sheep from three breeders, sourced from six farms in Uşak province. In the study, data were collected on various physical characteristics of the animals during the mating period, including their head size (such as forehead width, head length, and ear length), body size (such as chest width, rump height, withers height, back height, chest depth, chest girth, and body length), and weight at the time of measurement. Results: The findings revealed that systematic environmental factors, such as breed, farm, gender, and age classes, have a statistically significant effect on the live weight and body measurements. On the other hand, positive correlation coefficients were obtained for live weight and body measurements. Conclusion: The findings revealed that utilizing body measurements, particularly chest girth, as selection criteria in breeding programs aimed at improving growth characteristics can have a positive impact on the live weights of animals. The observation that the Eşme breed exhibited higher values than the Prılak breed in terms of live weight and certain body measurements suggests that this breed holds significant potential for meat production in the region.