Nigerian J. Anim. Sci. 2018, 20 (2): 6-15 Morphometric characterization of West African Dwarf Sheep in Remo zone of Ogun State Awobajo, O. K. Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu-Ode, P. M. B 2118, Ogun State, Nigeria [email protected] Target Audience: Researchers, Livestock producers, Development officers Abstract The study attempted application of morphometric parameters in the assessment of phenotypic variation among West African Dwarf sheep in Three (3) Local Government Area (LGA) of Remo province in Ogun State using phenotypic traits namely, Horn Length (HL), Head Width (HW), Head Length (HDL), Shoulder Width (SW), `Foreleg Length (FL), Hearth Girth (HG), Rump Length (RL), Pauch Girth (PG), Wither Heart (WH), Tail Length (TL), Ear Length (EL), Thorax Depth (TD) and Body Length (BL). Data were collected from 150 sheep comprising of male and female animals. Analysis was done using SPSS (2001) statistical package to obtain the means, standard deviations, standard error and coefficient of variation from the data collected which was subsequently used for classification. The result showed no significant different (P < 0.05) for all the phenotypic traits measured across all the LGA except EL, HDL and HG that were significantly different (p < 0.05) in Ikenne and Sagamu LGA. The mean for EL, HDL and HG ranged between 9.88 cm in Ikenne LGA and 10.64 cm in Remo LGA, from 23.28 cm in Ikenne LGA to 24.62 cm in Remo LGA and from 26.88 cm in Ikenne LGA to 29.00 cm in Sagamu LGA respectively showing the variation in the population studied. Key words: Morphometric parameters, Ogun State, Remo, West African Dwarf Sheep Description of Problem practiced in developed countries specifically West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep is a for its products of meat, wool and other fibers trypanotolarent species of small ruminants (6). The economic importance of sheep in reared by small holder farmers in south developing nation cannot be over emphasized, Western Nigeria (10). The National population sheep with their small body size have high commission (12) puts the population of sheep productive capacity and rapid growth rates that in Nigeria at 29.0million. The WAD sheep are are ideally suited production by poor small the predominant breed of sheep in the humid holder. According to (1), in sub-Sahara Africa tropics. Adult males weigh approximately sheep provide almost 30% of meat consumed 37kg and are horned. Ewes are polled and have and around 16% of the milk produced. Sheep mature weigh of 25kg. They can breed at age contributes about 50% of the domestically of 7-8 months, (17). They tend to have a short produced meat. Nigeria possesses about 22.1 lambing interval with prolificacy of adult ewes million sheep and they thrive in a wide variety ranging from 1.15 to 1.50 lambs per lambing of environments in the tropics and sub-topics. season (10, 17). Sheep farming as a component It requires less capital as they can be of the livestock industry is extensively completely maintained in pastures browse, and 6 Awobajo Agricultural waste products (9). (18) reported Sabo town and Ayegbami town. For Remo morphometric characterization of Nigeria LGA, Isara town, Ilara town, Ode-Remo town, indigenous sheep using multi factorial Akaka town and Orile-Oko town were discrimination analysis and it revealed that tail randomly selected. The predominant of length was found to be the most discriminating livestock management system found in the variable between Yankasa and WAD sheep. area is extensive system. Body measurement The univariate analysis also revealed that the includes. Horn length, head width, head length, body measurement of Balami sheep were shoulder width, foreleg length, heart girth, significantly larger (P<0.05) than others (Uda, rump length, pauch girth, wither height, tail Yankasa, and WAD) with the exception of tail length, ear length, thorax depth and Body length. This study was repeated for WAD length. sheep in Remo province of Ogun State (Ikenne, Sagamu and Remo North LGAs). Data Collection The main objective of this study is to Physical body parameters were on each examine the existing variations in the WAD sheep, this was done using flexible morphometris traits among West African measuring tape, while the sheep were standing Dwarf sheep in Remo zone of Ogun State. on a leveled surface. The parameters were Other specific objective of this study include, measure as follows. determining the effect of sex on the a. Horn length (HL): Length of the horn from morphometric traits of WAD sheep in the its rest to the top. studied area and characterizing the sheep based b. Shoulder width (SW): Distance between on this measurement. the right and left shoulder point. The following hypotheses were formulated and c. Foreleg length (FL): The distance from the stated in null form. proximal extremity of the foreleg to the 1. H0: There is no significant difference in mid-lateral. the morphometric traits of WAD sheep d. Head length (HDL): This is the distance from the studied area. between the horn 2. H0: There is no significant difference in e. Head Width (HW): This is the distance the sex effect on the morphometric traits from poll to nostril. of WAD sheep in the studied area. f. Body length (BL): Distance from point of shoulder to pin bone. Materials and Methods g. Rump length (RL): Distance from the Experimental Animals point of isocheim to the pin bone. Animals for the experiment were WAD h. Tail length (TL): Measured from the base sheep. Ten (10) animals were sampled per of the tail to the end of the coccygeal town. Thus fifty (50) animals were sampled for vertebrae. data collection from each LGA which summed i. Ear length (EL): Ear length is the distance up to 150 animals from the three LGAs between the tip of the Ear and the base. selected for the study area. The three LGAs are j. Wither Height (WH): This is the highest Ikenne, Sagamu and Remo. In each LGA, five point measured as the vertical distance sampling area were randomly selected, and from the top of the shoulder to the ground they include Iperu-Remo, Ilisan-Remo, Ogere- (button of forelegs). Remo, Irolu and Ikenne for Ikenne LGA. In k. Pauch Girth (PG): Measured immediately Sagamu LGA the sampling area include posterior to the last rib. Ogijo/Ikosi, Agbowa town, Surulere town, l. Heart Girth (HG): The smallest 7 Awobajo circumference of the chest posterior to the WAD sheep were computed using (15) forelegs at right angles for the body statistical package. This analysis is a multi- axis/chest girth. variant technique that describes the relationships between sets of variable by Statistical Analysis calculating the linear combination that are Mean Standard Deviations and Coefficient maximally correlated (16). of variation of the phenotypic characteristics of Results and Discussion Table 1: Mean of body measurement (cm), standard deviation (SD) and standard error (SE) OF WAD sheep in Ikenne LGA. Parameters N Mean STD. Deviation STD. Error Horn length 50 4.62 6.45 0.91 Head width 50 11.82 1.20 0.16 Head length 50 23.28 2.37 0.33 Shoulder width 50 17.04 2.93 0.41 Foreleg length 50 37.44 2.46 0.33 Heart girth 50 26.88 3.55 0.50 Rump length 50 19.22 1.86 0.26 Pauch girth 50 26.16 2.35 0.33 Wither heart 50 56.56 3.48 0.49 Tail length 50 26.18 3.62 0.51 Ear length 50 9.88 0.77 0.11 Thorax depth 50 20.70 2.64 0.37 Body length 50 58.18 3.65 0.52 aS.E- Standard Error: SD- Standard deviation Table 2: Mean of body measurements (cm), standard deviation (SD) and standard error (SE) of WAD sheep in Sagamu LGA. Parameters N Mean STD. Deviation STD. Errors Horn length 50 5.10 6.40 0.91 Head width 50 12.10 1.23 0.17 Head length 50 24.46 2.65 0.38 Shoulder width 50 16.04 2.18 0.31 Foreleg length 50 36.96 3.43 0.48 Heart girth 50 29.00 3.55 0.50 Rump length 50 19.08 2.28 0.32 Pauch girth 50 26.38 3.24 0.46 Wither heart 50 56.58 4.37 0.62 Tail length 50 26.30 3.28 0.46 Ear length 50 10.32 1.24 0.17 Thorax depth 50 20.78 2.55 0.36 Body length 50 58.64 4.19 0.59 aS.E- Standard Error: SD- Standard deviation 8 Awobajo Table 3: Mean of body measurements (cm), standard deviation (SD) and standard error (SE) of WAD sheep in Remo LGA. Parameters N Mean STD. Deviation STD. Errors Horn length 50 4.20 5.71 0.81 Head width 50 12.02 1.20 0.17 Head length 50 24.62 2.60 0.37 Shoulder width 50 16.40 2.19 0.31 Foreleg length 50 37.62 3.57 0.51 Heart girth 50 27.64 3.66 0.52 Rump length 50 19.84 2.16 0.31 Pauch girth 50 26.74 3.10 0.44 Wither heart 50 51.84 2.96 0.42 Tail length 50 26.66 4.33 0.61 Ear length 50 10.64 1.72 0.24 Thorax depth 50 20.18 2.74 0.39 Body length 50 58.78 3.45 0.49 aS.E- Standard Error: SD- Standard deviation Table 4: Descriptive statistics of phenotypic traits of WAD sheep in Remo zone of Ogun State.