Morphometrical and production traits of Bengal sheep in West Bengal, India

Abstract

Summary The study was conducted to phenotypically characterize the Bengal (Desi) sheep in some purposively selected villages of Nadia and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal, India. The Bengal sheep is reared as mutton sheep and has not been studied or characterized. Qualitative (coat colour and tail type) and quantitative (height at withers, height at rump, chest circumference, paunch girth, oblique body length, head length, head width, ear length, horn length, shoulder width, ear width, pelvic width, canon length, length of the fore leg, length of the hind leg, fore canon circumference, neck circumference, neck length, body weight) traits were included in the study. Phenotypic traits indicated that the sheep is of a small, thin tailed type adapted to grazing in water logged areas and lowly to moderately prolific. The structural indices indicate that the sheep is forward aligned, robust and rectangular in shape; it is well balanced and adapted for humid climates. The wool is coarse and hairy type, used for making blankets and durries. The reproductive parameters indicate that the age at first service was 295 days for ewes and 252 days for rams while the age at first lambing averaged around 425 days. Conservation efforts and genetic characterization are needed to maintain the breed purity and further studies regarding the carcass and mutton quality traits need to be carried out