Browsing by Author "Solo, Stephen Michael"

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    Production characteristics of the blackhead persian sheep
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 1981) Solo, Stephen Michael
    There is a deficit of meat for human nutrition in Tanzania. The situation is worsening following the increase in the human population. The role of sheep in meat production, therefore, cannot be overemphasised. The species is numerically ranked third after cattle and goats in the country. However, its potential for meat production can only be realised if both its numbers and production characteristics are increased. The Blackhead Persian Sheep (BHP), kept as a pure-bred, or used for crossbreeding with the local sheep, is considered more desirable than the local sheep for the production of larger carcasses and of meat of higher quality. Records on 968 and 1407 lambs, born between 1973 and 1978 at Malya and West Kilimanjaro Livestock Research Centres, respectively, were analysed to study the mutton production characteristics of the BHP sheep, under the two ecologically different range conditions. The records covered sheep performance between birth and slaughter age at 72 and 104 weeks; and between birth and maturity at about 334 weeks. The results were compared with those of sheep breed types which are indigenous to Tanzania. These results showed that that BHP lambs were 28 to 39 percent heavier at birth than the other indigenous breed types of sheep found in Tanzania. They also grew faster and matured much earlier than the other localbreed types of sheep. Despite the fact that the twinning rates were low in this breed type of sheep, the high ewe lambing percentage observed tended to be comparable to those exhibited by most temperate sheep breeds. These ranged between 55 to 89 percent. The breed type has a greater advantage than the other tropical breeds in that it is able to produce two lamb crops in a year. The mortality rates of lambs obtained in this study ranged from 22 to 48 percent for single lambs, and 50 to 100 percent for twin lambs. Pneumonia, helminthiasis, scours, general weakness at birth, coupled with mismanagement, especially at West Kilimanjaro, were the main causes of deaths. More than half of the losses of lambs at both centres occurred between birth and weaning age at 16 weeks. Regarding meat yield, the highest muscle yield was obtained at 48 weeks of age. However, the total carcass yield did not reach its maximum until at 72 weeks of age, while fat yield reached it at 104 weeks of age. From the observations made on the growth rate, the mature age of the BHP sheep appeared to be achieved at about 180 weeks of age. On the other hand, the owes tended to have a longer and more profitable breeding cycle than the rams. To solve the inbreeding problem which seemed to be common among the BHP sheep flock at the two centres, crossbreeding of the breed type of sheep with the other localsheep and with temperate mutton breeds is being recommended.