Live weight estimation of fat-tailed indigenous ewes from Southern Zambia

Abstract

Body measurements can be used to predict live weight fairly well in a situation where weighbridges are not available (Goonerwardene and Sahaayuraban 1983). The accuracy of functions used to predict live weight or growth characteristics from live animal measurements is of immense financial contribution to livestock production enterprises. The objective of the present study was to estimate live weight based on a linear body measurements on Fat-tailed sheep from Zambia. The data for this study were obtained from 15 adult female sheep age at least 2 years from different flocks. These animals were managed extensively, without supplementary feeding, in different farms of the Lusitu area of the Gwembe Valley in Southern Zambia. No routine health management system exists, and breeding is through uncontrolled natural mating in these farms. Only those animals considered pure breed and of apparent good health were considered for this study. Field data collection was performed during the dry season in August 2011.