Productive and Reproductive Performance of Native Sheep Under Research Farm and Farmer Level in Hilly Areas of Naikhongchari

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate the productive and reproductive performance of native sheep at the research farm and farmer level in hilly areas of Naikhongchari. For that purpose, on the research farm, the ewes were mated with rams in a 15-20:1 ratio following a natural-controlled breeding program. All of the ewes and rams were kept in a permanently structured house with a slatted floor that was raised above the ground and provided them with ample space for feeling comfortable. The sheep were given 6-7 hours of grazing time, and concentrate (17% CP, 11 MJ/kg DM) was provided twice daily. Regular vaccinations, dipping, and deworming were performed. At the farmer level, breeding strategies were not followed strictly. The lambs were weighed at birth, and each lamb's lambing date and sex were recorded and mostly kept under semi-intensive conditions. Most of the sheep farmers supply a small amount of wheat bran and broken rice to their sheep early in the morning and evening, and the rest of the day they allow their sheep to graze on the hill. The sheep were hardly immunized against common sheep diseases. The birth weight of both the male lamb and female lamb was 1.27 kg, 1.23 kg higher than the community conditions of 1.09 kg and 1.08 kg. The weaning weight for male lamb was 5.14 kg and female lamb was 4.86 kg in the research farm, while the weaning weight of male and female lamb was 4.32 kg and 4.15 kg, respectively, at the farmer level. On the research farm, the growth rates of male and female sheep were 41.22 g/d and 38.67 g/d, respectively, and at the farmer's level, the growth rates of male and female sheep were 39.08 g/d and 36.11 g/d, respectively. The mature ram and ewe weights were 25.67 kg and 18.72 kg in the research farm, respectively, which was higher than the mature weights of ram at the farmer level. Significant differences have been observed in no. of services per conception, gestation length, days open, and post-partum heat period. The highest lamb survivability percentage was observed in research farms than at the farmer level.