The Damara in the context of Southern Africa fat-tailed sheep breeds

Sheep production is one of the most important activities in animal production in tropical regions. Southern Africa (SA) fat-tailed sheep such as the Afrikaner, Namaqua Afrikaner, Nguni, Persian Black Head, Tswana, Pedi, Sabi, and particularly the Damara are important animal genetic resources very well adapted to their harsh home environments. In this review, autochthonous sheep genetic resources of SA are reviewed regarding history and productive performance. A special focus is made to the most internationalized of such breeds: the Damara. The following aspects are reviewed: history, standards, productive performance in SA, and importation to Australia. Finally, a reference is made to the influence of fat-tailed sheep formation of composite breeds such as the Dorper or the Meatmaster.     

Renal excretion of urea in the Merino and Steppe fat-tailed breeds of sheep after a short period of fasting

Urea excretion was studied in an experiment with two sheep breeds (steppe fat-tailed and merino) on the second day of fasting when the urea concentration in blood increases in fasting animals. The control group in the two breeds was given free-choice feed and water while fasting sheep were given ad libitum only water. Diuresis in both breeds was steady during the experiment. Glomerular filtration rate was not found to vary, in comparison with the control, although the plasma urea concentration rose in fat-tailed sheep (P less than 0.01) as well as in the sheep of merino breed (P less than 0.001). Fractional excretion of urea decreased in fat-tailed sheep (P less than 0.05) and also in the sheep of merino breed (P less than 0.02) while total output of urea remained steady in fat-tailed sheep but it increased in merino sheep (P less than 0.02). Tubular reabsorption of urea on the second day of fasting was observed to be higher by 65% in merino sheep (P less than 0.001), but in steppe fat-tailed sheep the increase was much higher--by up to 180% (P less than 0.001), in comparison with the control. It was demonstrated by the results that the increased tubular reabsorption of urea contributes to the rise of plasma urea concentration in sheep on the second day of fasting.     

Allelic polymorphism in the second exon of Ovar-DRB1 in fat-tailed sheep

Ovar-DRB1 is one of the most important response genes in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II region of sheep. Gene polymorphism in the second exon of Ovar-DRB1 in three different Iranian fat-tailed sheep breeds (Lori-Bakhtiari, Shaul and Zandi) was analyzed by either restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) or direct sequencing. A total of 92 Lori-Bakhtiari, 40 Shaul, and 47 Zandi sheep were examined. PCR-RFLP identified 17 genotypes in Lori-Bakhtiari sheep, 12 in Shaul sheep and 11 in Zandi sheep. Collectively, 24 different genotypes could be found for Iranian fat-tailed sheep. Using direct sequencing, seven new sequences in exon 2 of the Ovar-DRB1 gene were identified. Generalized linear modeling with a multinomial error structure showed that the sheep populations had significantly different allele frequencies.     

Fat-tailed sheep in Indonesia; an essential resource for smallholders

This paper discusses the historical development of fat-tailed sheep in Indonesia, the dynamics of production systems, production and reproduction performances under farmers’ conditions, and roles of sheep in livelihoods. In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, fat-tailed sheep from southwest Asia and Africander sheep from South Africa were introduced. Crossing of fat-tailed sheep with the local thin-tailed sheep produced the Javanese fat-tailed sheep. Main motives for the gradual change-over to fat-tailed sheep have been their potential larger body size and the preference of consumers for their meat. Management systems are changing in response to the intensification of land use. The reproductive performances of fat-tailed sheep are good. Households keep four to six animals, housed close to the family quarters. This results in very high levels of faecal bacteria contamination of drinking water sources. Sheep provide a small income, manure, security and help to accumulate capital. Sheep also play a key role in religious festivities. Farmers hardly profit from the increased demand for the feast of sacrifice; animals are sold mainly when the owners have urgent cash needs. Systematic sheep fattening can contribute to higher economic results, if sufficient family labour and crop residues are available.     

Mutations in bone morphogenetic protein 15 and growth differentiation factor 9 genes are associated with increased litter size in fat-tailed sheep breeds

The objective of this study was to investigate association between GDF9 and BMP15 gene polymorphism and litter size in fat-tailed sheep, a total of 97 mature ewes from four breeds (Afshari=19; Baluchi=18; Makui=30 and Mehraban=30) were genotyped for the BMP15 HinfI and GDF9 HhaI polymorphisms by PCR-RFLP technique. The highest and lowest mutant allele frequencies were found in Makui (0.27) and Afshari (0.10) sheep for the BMP15 gene and in Afshari (0.24) and Mehraban (0.18) sheep for the GDF9 gene, respectively. Litter size was significantly influenced by genotype of the ewe for two genes (P < 0.01). Heterozygous genotypes for both loci showed higher litter size than homozygous genotypes (P < 0.01). None of the individuals carried homozygous genotype for both of the GDF9 and BMP15 variants in these breeds. The individuals carrying the mutant allele for one of the investigated candidate gene still showed fertile phenotype. Thus, existence of homozygosity at one of the BMP15 and GDF9 variant is not probably able to block normal hormonal pathway of reproduction in fat-tailed sheep.     

微卫星标记ILSTS011在3个绵羊品种中的遗传多样性分析

为了分析微卫星标记ILSTS011的遗传多态性,研究以河南省地方绵羊品种大尾寒羊、小尾寒羊和豫西脂尾羊为研究对象,采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳技术分离微卫星标记的带型.结果表明:在3个绵羊品种中均检测到微卫星标记ILSTS011有3个等位基因,微卫星标记ILSTS011的平均杂合度为0.614 1,平均有效等位基因数为2.614 0,平均多态信息含量为0.551 3.说明ILSTS011为高度多态基因座,可作为有效的遗传标记用于大尾寒羊、小尾寒羊和豫西脂尾羊的遗传多样性分析.     

Characterization of Indigenous Fat-tailed and Fat-rumped Hair Sheep in Kenya: Diversity in Blood Proteins

This paper reports the variation in five blood proteins from five populations of sheep found in Kenya. Blood samples were collected from a total of 309 adult sheep of both sexes in Kwale, Makueni and Kakamega districts for the fat-tailed sheep and in Isiolo district for the fat-rumped hair sheep. Fine-wooled Merino sheep were used in this study as the reference population. Transferrin, esterase-A and esterase-C were polymorphic in all the populations investigated, while albumin was monomorphic for the S allele in the fat-tailed sheep and haemoglobin was fixed for the B allele in the Kwale, Makueni and Isiolo populations. Phylogenies derived from the pairwise genetic distance estimates showed a clear separation between the indigenous sheep populations and the exotic Merino. However, the topology of the former showed rather poor consistency with their morphological classification based on the localization of their fat deposits, namely fat-tailed or fat-rumped hair sheep.     

Multivariate characterisation of the phenotypic traits of Djallonke and Sahel sheep in Northern Ghana

The characterisation of the small ruminant populations in developing countries will play a major role in the maintenance of the genetic resources as the basis for future improvement in livestock production. The present study aimed at morphological characterisation of the two main breeds of sheep in Ghana by assessing variation within and between breed populations using principal component and discriminant analyses. The two breeds were the Sahel and the Djallonke sheep of both sexes and of two groups namely, young (1 year old, consisting of 74 animals) and mature sheep (≥2 years old, comprising 219 animals). The analysis of variance revealed significant (P?<?0.05) differences in the morphological traits of the Sahel and the Djallonke sheep breeds with higher values recorded for the former. Sexual dimorphism was in favour of male animals in all the morphological traits examined. Mature animals also had comparative advantage over the young. Two principal components were extracted to discern the structure of the two genetic groups. The most discriminating traits between the two sheep breeds were rump height, height at withers, neck girth and pin-bone width. Mahalanobis distance between the two genetic groups was 5.723 (P?<?0.0001). The developed discriminant functions clearly discriminated and classified the Sahel and the Djallonke sheep into their breeds of origin, thus yielding 100, 93.4 and 90.4 % accurate classification for the rams, ewes and the overall sheep population, respectively. The present approach would greatly help in establishing management and conservation policies for the sustainable production of the two Ghanaian sheep breeds.     

豫西脂尾羊CIDEa基因的克隆、序列分析与组织表达

试验旨在对豫西脂尾羊诱导细胞凋亡DNA片段化因子45样效应因子A （cell death-inducing DNA fragmentation factor 45-like effectors A，CIDEa）基因进行克隆及生物信息学分析，并检测其在豫西脂尾羊不同组织中的表达。以豫西脂尾羊脂肪组织RNA为模板，采用RT-PCR方法扩增并克隆豫西脂尾羊CIDEa基因完整CDS区序列，对测序结果进行了相关生物信息学分析，并对CIDEa基因在豫西脂尾羊心脏、肝脏、肺脏、脾脏、肾脏、瘤胃、小肠、背最长肌、皮下和内脏脂肪组织中的表达进行了分析。结果显示，豫西脂尾羊CIDEa基因CDS区序列长660 bp，编码219个氨基酸；豫西脂尾羊与绵羊、水牛、黄牛、藏羚羊、猪和人的CIDEa基因同源性分别为99.1%、96.8%、96.2%、98.8%、85.0%和79.4%。蛋白理化性质分析表明，CIDEa蛋白分子质量为24.38 ku，理论等电点（pI）为9.12，属于碱性蛋白。跨膜结构和信号肽预测分析表明，CIDEa蛋白不含跨膜结构和信号肽。亚细胞定位分析表明，豫西脂尾羊CIDEa蛋白分布在细胞质（47.8%）、线粒体（26.1%）、细胞核（17.4%）、液泡（4.3%）和内质网（4.3%）。蛋白质三级结构预测发现，CIDEa蛋白结构具有2个α-螺旋、4个β-折叠及一些无规则卷曲。实时荧光定量PCR结果表明，CIDEa基因在豫西脂尾羊脂肪组织（皮下和内脏脂肪组织）中表达量较高，其他组织中表达量从高到低依次为小肠、肝脏、脾脏、瘤胃、心脏、肾脏、肺脏、背最长肌。这些结果可为进一步研究CIDEa基因在肉羊脂质代谢中的功能及羊肉品质调控提供基础资料。     

国内几个绵羊品种转铁蛋白多态性研究

试验采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶水平板电泳,检测了蒙古羊、小尾寒羊、新疆肥臀羊和兰州大尾羊转铁蛋白的多态性。结果发现,蒙古羊中存在TfA、TfB、TfC、TfD、TfG和TfL6个复等位基因,TfA和TfB为优势基因,频率分别为0.3500和0.2750;小尾寒羊中存在TfA、TfB和TfC3个复等位基因,频率分别为0.3210,0.3930和0.2860;新疆肥臀羊存在TfA、TfB、TfC和TfD4个复等位基因,频率分别为0.0750,0.6750,0.2250和0.0250;兰州大尾羊中存在TfA、TfB、TfC、TfD、TfG和TfL和TfM7个复等位基因,其中TfB和TfC为优势基因,频率分别为0.4845和0.3528。蒙古羊、小尾寒羊、新疆肥臀羊和兰州大尾羊转铁蛋白基因平均杂合度分别为0.7338,0.6607,0.4875,0.6338。     

绵羊羊角形态与遗传调控机制的研究进展

绵羊是较早驯化的家畜之一，可为人类提供肉、毛、奶等产品，因而在我国畜牧产业中占有重要的地位。由于各地自然环境的差异和社会需要的不同，经长期的选择形成了数百个外表特征和生理习性各具特色的绵羊品种。羊角作为绵羊品种的特征性表型，承担着双重功能，发达的羊角不仅有利于公羊个体提高其在种群内的地位，拥有优先交配权，还可以有效抵御天敌的攻击，使群体免受捕食伤害；然而，随着规模化养殖的推广，羊角的存在已不利于舍内饲养管理，进而对绵羊品种的培育工作提出了新要求。目前，羊角虽在实际生产和品种培育工作中受到广泛关注，但其形态多样性及遗传调控机制的研究尚显不足。本文根据我国现有绵羊品种，对角的数量和形态、发育过程、遗传调控机制等方面的研究进行了综述，不仅能为后期鉴别绵羊羊角多样性的突变位点和主效基因提供参考，也可为绵羊的新品种培育奠定相关的理论基础。     

中国肉羊新品种培育的研究

文章以全新的观点从现代家畜育种的基本理论出发。论述了我国培育肉羊新品种应具备的种质特征。我国专门化肉羊育种的目标，适宜的培育方法．技术原则。全面分析了当前我国肉羊品种培育的种质资源基础和国内已开展的系统育种工作的主要进展。     

Ovine progressive pneumonia (Maedi-Visna): an emerging respiratory disease of sheep in Ethiopia

A serological study was done to assess the role of Maedi-Visna (MV) infection in sheep from flocks with high respiratory tract disease morbidity in Ethiopia. Of 105 sheep examined from central Ethiopia 78 (74%) were positive for MV-infection. However, antibodies to the virus were not detected in 48 sheep and 70 goats from elsewhere in Ethiopia. The infection was detected in all breeds of sheep examined (Awassi, Hampshire, Corriedale, indigenous Menz breeds and their crosses) but with a significant breed difference (chi 2 = 20, p < 0.001) varying from 48% in imported Awassi sheep to 92% in the indigenous Menz sheep. This suggests that Menz sheep are more susceptible to infection, which may support the observation of a higher incidence of clinical disease in these sheep compared to exotic breeds and their crosses. It also supports recent studies indicating that MV is becoming one of the most important respiratory tract diseases in sheep in central Ethiopia. Our findings indicate that MV was introduced into Ethiopia via sheep imported into the central highlands and that it now constitutes an important emerging disease is discussed. Measures to control the disease are suggested.     

Study on environmental indices and heat tolerance tests in hair sheep

The ability to predict the effects of climatic factors on animals and their adaptability is important for livestock production. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether existing indices are suitable for evaluating heat stress in Santa Ines and Morada Nova sheep, which are locally adapted hair sheep breeds from northeastern Brazil, and if the limits used to classify thermal stress are suitable for these breeds. Therefore, climatic, physiological, and physical parameters, as well as thermographic images, were collected in 26 sheep, 1 1/2 years old, from two genetic groups (Santa Ines 12 males and 4 females; Morada Nov. 7 males and 3 females) for 3 days in both morning (4:00 a.m.) and afternoon (2:00 p.m.) with six repetitions, totalizing 156 repetitions. Statistical analysis included correlations and broken-line regressions. Iberia and Benezra indices were the tolerance tests that best correlated with the assessed parameters. High correlations between environmental indices and rectal or skin surface temperatures was observed, which indicates that these indices can be used for Santa Ines and Morada Nova sheep raised in central Brazil. However, some indicative values of thermal discomfort are different from the existing classification. Therefore, in order to classify appropriately, the model used needs to be carefully studied, because these classifying values can vary according to the species and model. Further research is necessary to establish indicators of thermal stress for sheep breeds raised in the region.     

Population structure and genetic characterization of two native Danish sheep breeds

ABSTRACT

Genetic diversity in livestock animals has become recognized as important genetic resource for future sustainable livestock production. Especially native breeds, adapted to their local environment, are of considerable interest. Here, we report a genome-wide characterization of two native Danish sheep breeds, the Danish Landrace sheep and the Danish White-Headed Marsh sheep. We investigated the genetic diversity both at national and European breed level using a European-derived reference panel. The native Danish breeds are genetically distinct from other Nordic breeds. Their closest relatives are Border Leicester, Galway, and Texel. Apart from gene flow between native Danish breeds, Texel admixture was most dominant. For Danish Landrace sheep, a population split into two genetically distinct sub-populations was detected. Compared to other livestock species, genomic inbreeding was moderate. However, among European-derived sheep the native Danish breeds were among the 10 most inbred investigated, illustrating the need for sustainable management strategies to preserve genetic diversity.     

Merits of the fat-tailed Barbarine sheep raised in different production systems in Tunisia: digestive,productive and reproductive characteristics

Barbarine sheep is the dominant breed in Tunisia. This fat-tailed breed present in all production systems is characterised by metabolic and digestive adaptation to the contrasting environment conditions prevailing in the country (heat stress, water deprivation, salinity etc.). The fat tail (1.5 to 7 kg) is an energy reservoir that is used in periods of feed scarcity. Moreover, the rumen of this breed harbours a microflora enabling it to valorize low-quality roughages and native range vegetation. Barbarine sheep could make benefit from a wide range of local feed resources like fodder shrubs (e.g. cactus and oldman saltbushes), tannin-containing shrubs (e.g. Acacia cyanophylla) and agro-industrial by-products (e.g. olive cake, bran etc. conserved in the form of feed blocks or pellets). It has a very shallow anoestrous, the intensity of which is dependant upon nutrition conditions rather than day length as temperate breeds. Productive and reproductive performances of late pregnant–early suckling, pre-mating ewes and also rams of this breed are not affected when some alternative feed resources replace common feedstuffs which are expensive and cannot afford regularly to smallholders. In brief, the merits of the Barbarine sheep in the production systems and other main adaptive mechanisms of this breed are discussed in this paper. The prospective of Barbarine sheep husbandry in the system dynamics, climate change and the evolution of the socioeconomic context are also envisaged.     

Molecular evidence for fat-tailed sheep domestication

The sheep is one of the most successful and widely spread domestic animals. Archaeological evidence traces the first domestic sheep back to the Near East region around 9,000 years ago. It is also known that soon after, the domesticated sheep started to flow out of the centre of origin and spread all over the ancient world following the expansion of agriculture. Throughout time, herders, nature elements and eventually some hybridization with different wild relatives produced a multitude of breeds. However, until the advent of the molecular genetics field, very little was known about the origins of most of those breeds. Two decades after the first genetic studies, we have gathered considerable information on the origins, phylogenetic relationships and patterns of genetic diversity of the sheep across the world. Indeed, the genetic studies confirmed the Near East region as the main centre of origin and also revealed other contributions from other regions. Specifically about the fat-tailed sheep, molecular genetics was also able to link their maternal origin to a specific group. So far, modern sheep have originated from five different maternal origins. Nonetheless, the technological advances of the DNA sequencing techniques are bringing more data that is showing the complexity of the domestication process.     

Assessing carcass and meat characteristics of Damara, Dorper and Australian Merino lambs under restricted feeding

Seasonal weight loss (SWL) is the most pressing constraint in ruminant production systems in tropical climates. SWL is controlled using supplementation, which is costly and difficult to implement in extensive systems, or using breeds adapted to tropical hot dry climates, like the Damara and Dorper. Albeit 15 years in Australia, little is known on how these sheep compare to Australian Merino. Here, the responses of the Damara, Dorper and Merino breeds to nutritional stress were compared. Seventy-two 6-month-old ram lambs, 24 from each breed, were allocated to growth (gaining 100 g/day) or restricted diets (losing 100 g/day, 85 % of maintenance needs). Animals were weighed and carcass and meat characteristics determined. Results point out to the existence of important differences between the three genotypes, in particular between the Merino and the Southern African breeds. Additionally, Merino ram lambs seem to have been more influenced by SWL than the other two, with consequences on meat characteristics.     

Dairy sheep production research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,USA-a review

Commercial milking of sheep is a new agricultural industry in the United States starting approximately 30 yr ago. The industry is still small, but it is growing. The majority of the sheep milk is used in the production of specialty cheeses. The United States is the major importer of sheep milk cheeses with 50 to 60% of annual world exports coming to the United States during the past 20 yr. Therefore, there is considerable growth potential for the industry in the United States. The only dairy sheep research flock in North America is located at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The research program started in 1993 and has been multifaceted; dealing with several areas important to commercial dairy sheep farmers. The East Friesian and Lacaune dairy breeds were compared and introduced to the industry through the research program. Both dairy breeds produced significantly more milk than traditional meat-wool breeds found in the U.S., but the two breeds differed in their production traits. East Friesian-cross ewes produced more lambs and slightly more milk than Lacaune-cross ewes whereas Lacaune-cross ewes produced milk with a higher percentage of fat and protein than East Friesian-cross ewes. Lactation physiology studies have shown that ewes with active corpora lutea have increased milk yields, oxytocin release during milking is required to obtain normal fat percentages in the milk, large udder cisterns of dairy ewes can allow for increased milking intervals, and short daylengths during late pregnancy results in increased milk yield. In the nutrition area, legume-grass pastures and forages with a higher percentage of legume will result in increased milk production. Grazing ewes respond to additional supplementation with increased milk yield, but it is important to match the supplement to the quality of the grazing. Ewes on high quality legume-grass pastures that are high in rumen degradable protein respond with increased milk production to supplements high in energy and/or