04/10/2023

Presenter:Suraj Subedi

Breeding Strategy for

Local Sheep

Improvement

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The aim of the breeding program is

to genetically improve one or more

traits of economic importance.

The choice of the appropriate

breeding program depends on the

degree of inheritance, the selection

pressure and the generation

interval.2

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CBS Statistics of Sheep and its products

1998/99 99/2000 2000/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08

Sheep

Populatio

n

855159 851913 850170 840141 828286 824187 816727 812085 813621 809480

Mutton

(mt.)

2873 2860 2865 2823 2792 2779 2774 2737 2747 2725

Wool

(mt.)

616 615 614 609 601 598 590 587 588 585

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Sheep Population 2008/2009

Mountain

Hill Terai Total

Eastern 36319 64974 7163 108456

Central 48906 41589 4917 95412

Western 10968 122020 23100 156088

Mid-western

171191 123355 44466 339012

Far-westerm

76130 4266 23629 104025

Total 343514 356204 103275 802993Source: Statistical Information on Agriculture (2009)

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Major Constraints in sheep farming in Nepal

poor performance of local sheep breeds

a serious seasonal deficit of pasture and other feed

the lack of an organized market for wool and meat

poor access to agricultural credit

primitive shearing equipment

an inadequate supply of drinking water for sheep.

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Breeding Plan ???

A breeding plan is an annual record of the

practical tasks you need to complete to

achieve your breeding objective.

An effective breeding plan is practical,

cost effective and manages risk.

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What a Breeding Plan should include?

Breeding objective

Breeds to meet that objective

A rigid selection system

A desired mating system

A good animal evaluation system

A dissemination procedure

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Breeding Objective

To increase the wool production per sheep

per year.

To increase the fineness of the wool to

make it suitable for the carpet type.

To increase the lambing percentage.

To produce the hybrid sheep species

those are suitable for the Nepalese

environmental condition.8

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Tools for the improvement

Performance recording

Genetic evaluation procedures

Organization of a system for the diffusion

of genetic material

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Local Genetic Resource of Sheep

Baruwal (63%)

Kage (21%)

Lampuchhre (12%)

Bhyanglung (4%)

About 84% of the sheep are concentrated in the

hills and the remainder in the Terai (Shrestha et

al., 2000).

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Sheep distribution in Nepal

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What are the breeds selected to meet the objectives

Baruwal (local and principal breed)

Polwarth

Dorper

A 3 breed crossbreeding program is done

to meet the desired objectives.

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Baruwal Principal sheep breed of Nepal

Have good grazing instinct and suitable for migratory

system.

Its adult body weight is about 35 kg.

Body color is mostly white but the head color differs

from white to black.

Average wool yield of 900 to 1200 g annually

Fiber Diameter of 46.3 μ.

Staple length : 3.5 – 4.5 inches 15

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Polwarth A medium sized fine wool hardy breed.

Body wt. Ewe: 50 – 60 kg Ram: 66 – 80 kg

All year breeding

Ability to retain body weights under extreme

conditions.

Good mothering ability with high lamb survival rate.

Ultra-thin wool of 23 – 25 micron diameter. With

excellent length, crimp and yield.

Dense white fleece. 5- 7 inches

Grease fleece wt. 5.5 kg , clean fleece 4.1 kg16

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Dorper Dorpers are a low maintenance, easy care breed

adaptive easily to a variety of conditions, non-

selective grazers and one of the breeds that thrive

in harsh conditions.

Mutton breed , good milking but not wool breed.

Ewe =170-200 lbs Ram = 220-250 lbs.

High fertility and reproduction rates. Lambing

percentage 150% or above.

Coat is a mixture of hair & wool and will shed from

animal in late spring/early summer.

Resistant to parasites and diseases.

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Past breeding activities

The importance of sheep farming was well

recognised by the Rana government and a

Sheep Development Farm was established in

Chitlang, Makawanpur in 2001 BS. After the

establishment of the sheep farm various

attempts have been made to improve the local

production and productivity by upgrading the

breeds and improving the feeding, health care

and management practices.18

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Both Polwarth and Dorper breeds are having an excellent

foundation in crossbreeding.

Polwarth has been used in breeding activities since 30 years in

Nepal. An increase in both fleece wt. and wool grade has been

obtained from the cross breeds of 25% and 50% exotic blood level.

Breeding with Baruwal and Kage breeds has been done in various

breeding farms in Nepal.

Sheep and Goat Research Program, Guthichaur, Jumla

Sheep Development Farm, Pansayakhola, Nuwakot etc.

Dorper is relatively new breed in Nepal. It has been used to

increase the weight traits in crossbreeding programs in various

countries. A good maternal instinct and high lambing percentage is

desired trait which is incorporated in the Polwarth cross by mating

with these breeds.19

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Estimation of Selection Parameters

Heritability

Selection Differential

Trait Ratio

Genetic Gain

Selection Index

These will be based traits: wool production, fiber

diameter and lambing percentage.

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Character Apparent Heritability Estimate

Birth Wt. Low to medium 10 – 30

Weaning wt. Low to medium 10 – 30

Yearling wt. Medium 30 – 40

Face covering score High 40 – 60

Skin fold score High 40 – 60

Fleece Characters

Grease – fleece wt. Medium 30 – 40

Staple length High 40 – 60

Fineness of fiber (diameter) Medium to high 30 – 50

Hairiness High 50 – 60

Reproductive traits

Fecundity Low to medium 10 – 30

Earliness of lambing Medium 30 – 40

Number of functional nipples Medium 30 – 40

Lambing size Low 10 – 15

Lambing Percentage Low 10 – 15

Apparent heritability estimate of economic traits

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Selection Criteria Individual Selection

Progeny Tests

Pedigree and collateral relatives

Probable Breeding Values (PBV)

riescontempora individualfor average phenotypic P

selected sindividual of phenotype P

phenotype itson genotype oft coefficien regression b

1

1

1

)P - (PbPPBV

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Selection Index

Selection Index Selection Index (I) = Heritability of the trait X

Relative Economic Importance (REI) X Trait Score

(lambing%) scoreTrait x (lambing%) REI x (lambing%) h

dia.)r score(fibe x trait dia.)REI(fiber x dia.)(fiber h

wt.)score(wool x trait wt.)(wool REI x wt.)(wool h I

2

2

2

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Evaluation of Animals

Individual Evaluation

Progeny tests

For

Wool yield

Fiber diameter

Number of offspring

Disease Resistance

Environmental accommodation

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Mating Design

Where,

L= Local

(Baruwal)

P= Polwarth

D= Dorper

L100P100

L50P50P100

L25 P75

L100 D100

L50 D50

L37.5 P37.5 D25

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Several crossbred lines are produced.

The individuals from these lines are

produced to produce the final offspring.

It’s advantage is that it avoids the inbreeding

and prevents the vigor decrease that may be

due to inbreeding.

Vigor decrease:

Decrease wool production and staple length

Decrease weaning body weight and yearling

body wt.

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How mating carried out???

1000 pure baruwal sheep will be selected for the

breeding program, selection of superior among

them.

Polwarth and Dorper male breeds will be imported.

A natural mating system will be carried out.

The offspring's of each generation will be evaluated

individually as well as the progeny testing will be

done for the traits of consideration.

The superior animals selected based on the

selection index designed.

A more or less constant nucleus size is maintained.29

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Design for expansion Expansion program based on the 3 tier system.

A closed system is adopted because of the adequate

elite herd population.

Nucleus herd is maintained with the constant blood

level.

A long selection and mating within these crossbreed

are done to increase the superiority of the offspring.

Breeding with the same exotic blood level is desired

for expansion. Mating to other bloodlines is

undesirable and the offspring thus produced are

culled.30

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The multiplier herd is also encouraged to maintain

the same blood level. The superior from the

multiplier herd is again reused in the multiplier

herd.

The commercial herd is also targeted to maintain

the same blood level.

This is done to utilize the complementary breed

effect and heterosis. The whole expansion program

is then targeted for the promotion of the same

gene combination. Any change within these

combinations lead to decrease in heterosis and

decrease production.31

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A closed 3 Tier breeding Structure

Multipliers

Commercial Farms

Nucleus

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Dorper White

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Polwarth

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Thank You

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References Shrestha, B S; Shrestha, S; Neopane, S P and Shrestha, N P

(2000). Sheep genetic resources of Nepal. In: Proceedings of the Fourth Global Conference on the Conservation of Domestic Animal Genetic Resources. (Editor: JNB Shrestha). Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) and Rare Breeds International (RBI), 17-21 August, 1998, Pp 81-84, Kathmandu, P O Box 5459, Nepal

Neopane, S P (2004). Native Animal Genetic Resources of Nepal: Status of their Conservation and Utilization. Proceedings of IV National Conference on Sciences and Technologies. National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), 23-26 March 2004, Pp 74-78

Neopane, S P (2006). Characterization of indigenous animal genetic resources of Nepal. Proceedings of the 6th National Workshop on Livestock and Fisheries Research, 1-2 July 2004, NARC, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal, Pp 1-11

Statistical Information on Nepalese Agriculture (2009). 2008/09. Statistical Information on Nepalese Agriculture, 2008/09. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Singh Durbar, Nepal

Lasley, J. F. 1977. Genetics of Livestock Improvement, 3rd edition. Prentice-Hall Inc. N.J., USA 37

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CBS. 2009. Central Bureau of Statistics. Nepal Government, National Planning Commission Secretariat, Kathmandu, Nepal

MOAC. 2004. Country Report on Animal Genetic Resources of Nepal. Government of Nepal, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Pradhan, S.L. 1988. Sheep Production and Development in Nepal. In: Proceedings of the Workshop on Sheep Production in Asia. (Eds: Devendra, C. & Falyon, P.S.) Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development. Laguna Philippines April 18-23,1988. Pp. 153 – 165

www.sheepgoat.gov.np/downloadfile/pub_sheepintro_1300100245.pdf

McCall , J. & McCall L. 2011. Developing a Breeding Plan. Accessed on 5th june 2011 In: www.the-old-place.com/developingabreedingplan.htm Mavrogenis, A. P. 2011. Breeding Systems and Selection Strategies for Sheep Improvement in Cyprus. Accessed on 7th june 2011 In: ressources.ciheam.org/om/pdf/c11/96605537.pdf

Anonymous: www. google.com38

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An open 3 Tier breeding Structure

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