Review of the Reproductive Performances of Indigenous Sheep in Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia’s vast sheep and goat population, estimated at about 27.3 million and 28.2 million heads respectively, are highly adaptable to a broad range of environments and classified based on their morphological characteristics and geographic distribution into 14 sheep types/population. However, the annual meat production and off-take is very low as compared to the huge population and genetic source of country. Good reproductive performance is a prerequisite for any successful genetic improvement and it determines production efficiency which depends on various factors including age at first lambing, litter size, lambing interval and the life time productivity of the ewe, the last one being related to longevity. Characteristics of puberty for indigenous Ethiopian sheep was differ for the various sheep breeds and Age at puberty is impacted by genotype, the season of birth (for seasonal breeds), and plan of nutrition. Menz ewe lambs are capable of reaching puberty before 14 months and Menz, Horro and Afar ram lambs reaching puberty at 288±6,322.7 and 213 day’s age and at puberty, SC averaged 23-23.5cm and 23-24cm for Menz and Horro rams.

Keywords; Ethiopia, Performance, indigenous, Reproductive, sheep