Effect of management systems on growth and conformation of male lambs of Kachhi and Kooka sheep

Abstract

A study was carried out on 12 male lambs under two management systems at the Department of Livestock
Management. Six lambs from each breed were reared under intensive (A) and semi-intensive (B) management
systems. The Kooka lambs comparatively gained more body weight per week (4.84±0.27% and 3.25±0.09%,
respectively) than Kachhi lambs (4.03±0.12% and 2.61±0.21%, respectively) of group B and A, respectively. The
average per week increase in body weight of lambs in group B was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that of
group A. The average body weight of Kooka and Kachhi lambs of group B was significantly (P<0.05) higher
than Kachhi and Kooka lambs of group A. Per week increase in body conformation in respect of height, girth
and length (1.55±0.08%, 1.32±0.04% and 1.82±0.01%, respectively) of Kooka and Kachhi (1.00±0.03%, 1.06±0.02%
and 1.54±0.06%, respectively) lambs of group B was comparatively higher (P<0.05) than Kooka (0.97±0.07%,
0.86±0.03% and 1.37±0.07%, respectively) and Kachhi (0.77±0.04%, 0.68±0.07% and 0.96±0.02%, respectively)
lambs in group A. The overall mean height, girth and length of male Kooka lambs of group B were significantly
(P<0.05) higher than Kachhi lambs of group A and group B but relatively similar to that of Kooka lambs in group
A. Result concludes that, the male Kooka lambs gained more body weight and body conformation than that of
male Kachhi lambs under both management systems (intensive and semi- intensive management system).