MORPHOMETRIC TRAITS AND BODY WEIGHT AT DIFFERENT AGE OF BATUR SHEEP IN BANJARNEGARA

Abstract

The aim of study was to explore the possibility of genetic diversity within Batur sheep to find indirect parameters for meat production that potentially could be used for selective purposes. The trial was carried out at Banjarnegara under the control of 13 owners with total 69 heads aged between 0.5 and 3 years, depending on age group: 6 months, year and adult. Body weight was recorded in the kilogram, whereas, body measures were taken by tape in the centimeter were Height at withers, Chest Girth and Body Length. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive analyses, GLM, and Correlation procedures by SPSS version 16. Body weight of three age groups were 27.28±1.76, 48.87±1.55 and 69.10a±2.80 kg respectively. Mean of morphometric traits of body dimension performed as follow; length was of 54.10±1.19, 67.28±1.05 and 71.70a±1.91, height at withers was of 53.55±1.30, 60.15±1.14 and 61.50a±2.06, and the chest girth was of 69.26±2.09, 82.28±1.84 and 94.90a±3.33 (cm) respectively for three age groups. Body weight had highest correlations with length of (r = 0.84), and good correlations with chest girth (r = 0.75), whilst lowest and weak correlation between body weight with height of (r = 0.58) and age of (r = 0.45) at any age groups.