Repeatability of Litter Sizes at Birth and Weaning in Traditionally-Managed West African Dwarf Sheep
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18819/ijavs.2016.1546Keywords:
Litter size, Repeatability, West African Dwarf SheepAbstract
Reproduction records of 2,112 lambs from 1,411 births by 436 traditionally managed West African Dwarf (WAD) ewes in 24 rural communities of Kwara State (North-Central Nigeria) were obtained using Progeny History Technique of the Participatory Rural Appraisal. The data collected were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance. Estimates of repeatability of litter size at birth and litter size at weaning were obtained from the variance components. Litter size at birth and litter size at weaning averaged 1.49±0.53 lambs and 1.45±0.51 lambs, respectively. Estimates of repeatability were 0.91±0.05 and 0.90±0.05 for litter size at birth and litter size at weaning, respectively. The present study suggests the reliability of few records in accurate measurement of litter size at birth and litter size at weaning in traditionally managed ewes.
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