DISTRIBUTION, PHENOTYPE AND FACTORS INFLUENCING THE PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF NGUNI SHEEP by PETER ANDREW OOSTHUIZEN Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE (AGRICULTURE), ANIMAL SCIENCE in the SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURAL, EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE at the UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL Pietermaritzburg November 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUPERVISORS…………………………………………………………………………... viii DECLARATION…………………………………………………………………………… ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………………... x PREFACE………………………………………………………………………………….. xi DISSERTATION SUMMARY……………………………………………………………. xii CONFERENCE ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………. xv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS…………………………………………………………….. xvii LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………...……….. xix LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………...………………………… xxiii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1 1.1 PREAMBLE................................................................................................... 1 1.2 BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION ........................................................ 2 1.3 GENERAL AIM AND OBJECTIVES .............................................................. 3 1.3.1 Aim ......................................................................................................... 3 1.3.2 Objectives ............................................................................................... 4 1.3.3 Hypotheses ............................................................................................. 4 1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE DISSERTATION ...................................................... 4 1.5 REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 5 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................... 8 2.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 8 2.2 HISTORY ...................................................................................................... 9 2.2.1 Migration Routes ..................................................................................... 12 2.3 GENOTYPE ............................................................................................... 15 2.3.1 Genetic similarity and diversity between breeds ................................... 16 2.3.2 Previous DNA work done ...................................................................... 16 2.4 PHENOTYPE .............................................................................................. 17 2.5 PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY ...................................................................... 20 2.6 REFERENCES ............................................................................................ 24 ii CHAPTER 3: A SURVEY OF NGUNI SHEEP OWNERS IN FOUR AGRO- ECOLOGICAL ZONES IN KWAZULU-NATAL ......................................................... 30 3.1 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................. 30 3.2 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 31 3.3 MATERIAL AND METHODS ....................................................................... 33 3.3.1. Study area .............................................................................................. 33 3.3.2 Methodology ........................................................................................... 33 3.3.3 Data Collection ..................................................................................... 33 3.3.4 Statistical Analysis ................................................................................ 33 3.4 RESULTS.................................................................................................... 34 3.4.1. Distribution and prevalence of Nguni sheep in KZN ............................. 34 3.4.2 Description of study sites (Bioresource groups present in the different study zones) ......................................................................................... 34 3.4.2.1 Nkandla (BRG 5, 8 and 12) ............................................................... 34 3.4.2.2 Nongoma (BRG 15, 16 and 22) ......................................................... 37 3.4.2.3 Msinga (BRG 18 and 21) ................................................................... 38 3.4.2.4 Ingwavuma (BRG 1, 22 and 23) ........................................................ 39 3.4.3. Flock size and composition per zone .................................................... 41 3.4.4 Responses of sheep owners regarding: ............................................... 41 3.4.4.1. Supplementary nutrition and kraaling ............................................. 41 3.4.4.2 Basic animal health ........................................................................... 42 3.4.4.3 Breeding ............................................................................................ 44 3.4.4.4 Use of animal products .................................................................. 45 3.4.4.5 Reasons for keeping sheep ............................................................... 46 3.5 DISCUSSION .............................................................................................. 47 3.6 CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................... 51 3.7 REFERENCES ............................................................................................ 52 CHAPTER 4: PHENOTYPIC STUDY OF NGUNI SHEEP ...................................... 55 4.1 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................ 55 4.2 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 56 4.3 MATERIAL AND METHODS ....................................................................... 59 4.3.1 Assessment sites .................................................................................. 59 iii 4.3.1.1 The Makhathini Research Station ..................................................... 59 4.3.1.2 The Dundee Research Station .......................................................... 61 4.3.2 Animals ................................................................................................. 62 4.3.3. Methods ................................................................................................ 63 4.3.3.1 The Phenotypic characteristics assessment ....................................... 63 4.3.3.2 Live weight predictions ....................................................................... 63 4.3.4 Herd management practices ................................................................. 65 4.3.4.1 Makhathini Research Station............................................................. 65 4.3.4.2 Dundee Research Station ................................................................. 65 4.3.5 Data collected ....................................................................................... 65 4.3.5.1 Phenotypic characteristics assessment ............................................. 65 4.3.5.2 Live weight prediction ........................................................................ 66 4.4 Statistical analysis ....................................................................................... 66 4.5 RESULTS.................................................................................................... 66 4.5.1 Site climatic conditions ......................................................................... 66 4.5.1.1 MRS .................................................................................................. 67 4.5.1.2 DRS ................................................................................................... 68 4.5.2 Qualitative traits – sheep evaluation ..................................................... 69 4.5.2.1 Tail appearance ................................................................................. 69 4.5.2.2 Facial profiles: ................................................................................... 70 4.5.2.3 Back profiles: ..................................................................................... 71 4.5.2.4 Predominant coat colouring and pattern ............................................ 72 4.5.3 QUANTITATIVE TRAITS ...................................................................... 74 4.5.3.1 Head length, head width and ear length ............................................ 74 4.5.3.2 Horns ................................................................................................. 74 4.5.3.3 Shoulder height, body length and pelvis width .................................. 74 4.5.3.4 Heart girth ......................................................................................... 75 4.5.3.5 Tail lengths and width ........................................................................ 75 4.5.4 Live weight predictions ......................................................................... 76 iv 4.5.4.1 The relationship between heart girth (cm) and live weight (All adult sheep) ………………………………………………………………………………76 4.5.4.2 Accuracy of a goat weight band to determine the live weight of Nguni sheep (kg sheep-1). ........................................................................... 77 4.6 DISCUSSION .............................................................................................