INDICATORS OF REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE IN GOATS AND SHEEP MEAT PRODUCTION

INDICATORS OF REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE IN GOATS AND SHEEP MEAT PRODUCTION

NEVER ASSAN

Reproductive performance is a major contributing factor to the
efficiency of goat and sheep meat production. Therefore, enhancement
of reproductive capacity of goat and sheep flocks is among the most
effective mechanisms of increasing the overall meat production. There is
an inessential difference between productivity and reproductivity, as
almost of the reproductive parameters are the ones that greatly
influence production, consequently the viability of any goat and sheep
enterprise: stated differently, production is equal to reproduction.
Reproductive performance and its interactions on the productivity of
goats and sheep flocks, especially with regards to the management of
each ewe’s/doe’s lifetime production (female replacement
determination), are structural grantors of a complex biological system
that determine meat yield. The principal goal of goat and sheep
reproduction is to iterate generations for a specified production
intention, first and foremost meat, milk or wool as defined by species or
breeds and their crosses and in special circumstances, the production of
animals of superior economic priority. Some of the measures of
reproductive performance include parameters such as survival rate,
prolificacy, sexual maturity, lambing age and interval, conception rates,
kid/lambs weaned per year etc. Reproductive characteristics are
sensitive to environmental factors as a result can easily adapt to sound
flock reproductive management practices. More or less important
variables goat and sheep farmers need to attentively consider to
promote reproductive performance are age of animals, weather, season,
and nutrition. There is evidence that nutrition and management are major determinants of kids’/lambs survival rates, while genetic has been
a dominant factor controlling prolificacy. Regardless of the fact that
genetics of animals is important in goat and sheep reproduction,
reproductive traits are lowly heritable as a result any attempt to
genetically improve reproductive efficiency becomes slow and difficult.
This entails reproductive efficiency through genetic selection is
completely implausible. It is assumed that understanding the measures
of reproduction, especially females in order to attain an optimum
number of new-born of the required attributes at the most convenient
time and at a minimum cost is critical for mutton and chevon producers.
The earlier the replacement females starts to give birth to young ones,
the more the young ones they produce in their life time, and also the
longer the females’ productive life as a result contributing to long term
flock productivity. Protracted kidding/lambing interval will reduce
overall productivity in goats and sheep meat production, while
persistent check on reproductive indicators throughout all phases in the
reproductive cycle allows producers to adopt husbandry management
practices that are meant to optimise overall meat productivity in goats
and sheep. The present review gives an insight on some of the indicators
of reproductive performance and their possible impact on the overall
productivity in goats and sheep meat production

Scientific Journal of Animal Science

2020