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The potential of using long in vitro culture (LIVC) of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) from early antral follicles (EAFs) as an assisted reproductive technology in cattle has shown promising results. This study explored the feasibility of applying this technology to sheep as seasonal breeding animals. Ovaries from sheep were collected during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons. COCs were isolated from EAFs (350–450 μm) and cultured in TCM199 medium supplemented with 0.15 μg/mL Zn sulfate, 10−4IU/mL FSH, 10 ng/mL estradiol, 50 ng/mL testosterone, 50 ng/mL progesterone, and 5 μM Cilostamide. After five days of LIVC, the COCs were submitted to an in vitro maturation procedure. The results indicate successful in vitro development of COCs, evidenced by a significant increase in oocyte diameter (p < 0.000) and the preservation of gap junction communication between oocyte and cumulus cells. The gradual uncoupling was accompanied by a progressive chromatin transition from the non-surrounded nucleolus (NSN) to the surrounded nucleolus (SN) (p < 0.000), coupled with a gradual decrease in global transcriptional activity and an increase in oocyte meiotic competence (p < 0.000). Maintenance of oocyte-cumulus investment architecture, viability, and metaphase II capability was significantly higher in COCs collected during the breeding season (p < 0.000), suggesting higher quality than those obtained during the non-breeding season. In conclusion, our study confirms LIVC feasibility in sheep, emphasizing increased effectiveness during the breeding season in isolating higher-quality COCs from EAFs. These findings can influence improving the LIVC system in mammals with seasonal reproduction. • LIVC protocol promotes efficient oocyte growth from sheep EAFs in the breeding season. • LIVC supports chromatin transition, reduces transcriptional activity, and enhances meiotic competence. • Cultured COCs showed higher viability, morphological integrity, and open gap junctions during the breeding season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-density genomic data analyzed by accurate statistical methods are of potential to enlighten past breeding practices such as selection by unraveling fixed regions. In this study, four native Turkish sheep breeds (80 samples) were genotyped via 296.097 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected by double-digest restriction site-associated DNA (ddRADseq) library preparation combined with the Illumina HiSeq X Ten instrument in order to identify genes under selection pressure. A total of 32, 136, 133, and 119 protein-coding genes were detected under selection pressure by runs of homozygosity (ROH), integrated haplotype score (iHS), the ratio of extended haplotype homozygosity (Rsb), and fixation index (FST) approaches, respectively. Of these, a total of 129 genes were identified by at least two statistical models which overlapped with a total of 52 quantitative trait loci (QTL)-associated SNPs, known to be related to fiber diameter, milk content, body weight, carcass traits, some blood parameters, and entropion. A total of six genes under selection pressure were validated by three statistical approaches five of which are of potential to be integrated into animal breeding since they were associated with wool fiber diameter (ZNF208B), behaviors related to neurocognitive development (CBX1 and NFE2L1), adaptation to high-altitude (SDK1), and anxiety causing internal stress (GSG1L). The sixth gene (COPZ1) turned out to play an important role in coping with different types of cancer in mammals. In particular, ROH analysis uncovered significant findings that the Güney Karaman (GKR) had experienced different selection practices than the Akkaraman (AKR) breed. Moreover, some genes specifically under selection in the GKR breed turned out to be associated with olfaction (OR6K6, OR6N1, OR6N2, and OR4C16), survival during the gestation period (PRR15L), and heat stress (CDK5RAP9). The results of this study imply that GKR may become genetically different from the AKR breed at the genome level due to most probably experiencing different adaptation processes occurring in raised climatic conditions. These differences should be conserved to face future challenges, while other native Turkish sheep breeds could be monitored via genome-wide high-density SNP data to obtain deeper knowledge about the effects of natural selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate breed identification is essential for the conservation and sustainable use of indigenous farm animal genetic resources. In this study, we evaluated the phylogenetic relationships and genomic breed compositions of 13 sheep breeds using SNP and InDel data from whole genome sequencing. The breeds included 11 Chinese indigenous and 2 foreign commercial breeds. We compared different strategies for breed identification with respect to different marker types, i.e. SNPs, InDels, and a combination of SNPs and InDels (named SIs), different breed-informative marker detection methods, and different machine learning classification methods. Results: Using WGS-based SNPs and InDels, we revealed the phylogenetic relationships between 11 Chinese indigenous and two foreign sheep breeds and quantified their purities through estimated genomic breed compositions. We found that the optimal strategy for identifying these breeds was the combination of DFI_union for breed-informative marker detection, which integrated the methods of Delta, Pairwise Wright's FST, and Informativeness for Assignment (namely DFI) by merging the breed-informative markers derived from the three methods, and KSR for breed assignment, which integrated the methods of K-Nearest Neighbor, Support Vector Machine, and Random Forest (namely KSR) by intersecting their results. Using SI markers improved the identification accuracy compared to using SNPs or InDels alone. We achieved accuracies over 97.5% when using at least the 1000 most breed-informative (MBI) SI markers and even 100% when using 5000 SI markers. Conclusions: Our results provide not only an important foundation for conservation of these Chinese local sheep breeds, but also general approaches for breed identification of indigenous farm animal breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to create various microsatellite paternity test panels that are efficient, cost-effective, simple, and accessible for paternity assessments in the Eşme sheep breed in Western Anatolia. The study included 2432 animals from 16 farms, consisting of 147 rams and 2285 lambs. Seventeen microsatellite markers were utilized in the study to develop these test panels, prioritizing markers with high polymorphic information content (PIC) and probability of exclusion (PE) values. By combining markers with varying PIC and PE values, 16 distinct paternity test panels were established. The study revealed mean values for various parameters of the microsatellites used, with the lowest and highest PE values observed at specific loci. The combined probability of exclusion for the test panels ranged from 0.9079844 to 0.9999998. Panels containing seven or more microsatellites with an exclusion probability above 0.999 were identified as suitable for paternity tests in the Eşme sheep breed. These findings have significantly advanced the development of efficient and cost-effective paternity tests in animal breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Sheep are seasonal breeding animals. Different reproduction systems exist to enhance productivity in non-breeding season. One of the methods used in enhancing reproductive performance in sheep breeding is melatonin administration. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of melatonin application on reproductive performance in sheep by meta-analysis according to different factors. Methods: To find eligible studies, PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched. Twenty studies published between 1991 and 2021 were included in the meta-analysis. The effect sizes of pregnancy rate, lambing rate and litter size were calculated according to breeds, production characteristics (dairy-meat breeds) and season (breeding–non-breeding). The study estimated the risk ratio for pregnancy and lambing rates, and standardized mean difference for litter size as effect size. Key results: The melatonin hormone increases the pregnancy rate by 1.07 times and the lambing rate by 1.36 times. The effect size (risk ratio) of the Rasa Aragonesa breed (1.15) for pregnancy rate and the Merino breed (1.65) for lambing rate was higher than the Sarda breed. Conclusions: The positive effect of melatonin was found to be higher in the non-breeding season than in the breeding season for the three reproductive performance traits examined. Implications: This study is a comprehensive research study examining the effect of melatonin application in sheep according to different factors. This study, evaluated the effect of melatonin on reproductive performance in sheep via meta-analysis. Pregnancy rate, lambing rate and litter size were used for reproductive performance parameters. Effect sizes of reproductive performance parameters were calculated according to breeds, production characteristics and seasons. The positive effect of melatonin was found greater in the non-reproductive period than in the breeding period for the three reproductive performance traits examined. This comprehensive research examined the effect of melatonin on sheep according to different factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in animal genetics, propelled by high-throughput genotyping methods like SNP arrays, have significantly expanded our understanding of genetic diversity, evolution, and livestock breeding. Low-density SNP chips offer a cost-effective means of genotyping large populations simultaneously. While Venn diagrams are a valuable tool for data exploration, they typically provide static views of up to datasets. Venn diagrams illustrated the proportions of common SNPs, distinguishing unique and shared SNPs across datasets. In this study, we aimed to develop low-density SNP panels of varying densities using Ovine 50K SNP Bead Chip data from Indian, Asian, and exotic sheep breeds, (a) Select unique and breed specific common SNP via Quality pruning and (b) select 20k panel Using Venn diagram through four methods. Genotyping data were sourced from publicly available databases, consortiums, and datasets referenced in scientific literature. To facilitate our analysis, we merged three sets of sheep breeds into four combinations using appropriate merger commands within the PLINK software. These four datasets underwent quality pruning based on various parameters and thresholds. We generated informative SNP panels for each dataset using the TRES approach, employing the delta, FST, info and combine method to rank markers that distinguish between the underlying breeds. Our findings, obtained through the all four methods, indicated that the 20K SNP panel outperformed the 50K panel in distinguishing common SNPs between Asian, Indian, and exotic sheep breeds. The incorporation of these practices elevates the validity and applicability of genetic insights, fostering informed decision-making and propelling advancements in animal genetics and breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Climate change presents significant nutritional challenges to animal breeding, demanding resilience and efficiency for survival and productivity. In this study, we investigated the effects of body reserves dynamics (mobilization and accretion) on the production and reproduction parameters of fat-tailed Barbarine and thin-tailed Queue Fine de l'Ouest ewes over two production cycles under semi-intensive conditions. The results show that all reproductive traits were similar among breeds; however, they depend on ewes' body reserves. Similarly, lambs' growth parameters depend on ewes' body condition scores (BCSs) at lambing and weaning, with higher growth for ewes with BCS > 2 at lambing. In conclusion, regardless of the breed, ewes have evolved adaptive mechanisms by mobilizing body reserves to effectively cope with environmental challenges and successfully rear their offspring. Additionally, to sustain a high growth rate in offspring, it is advisable to carefully plan the flock nutritional needs during the suckling period. Under climate change, animal breeding faces severe nutritional challenges, exhibiting their resilience and efficiency to survive and produce. The animals' robustness can be evaluated through the use and reconstitution of body reserves (BR). This study investigated the dynamics of ewes' BR, measured through body weight (BW) and the body condition score (BCS), and their effect on production performances of 480 ewes belonging to fat-tailed Barbarine (BB) and thin-tailed Queue Fine de l'Ouest (QFO) ewes over two consecutive years. The BW and BCS were recorded across physiological stages. Reproductive parameters and lambs' growth were calculated. For both years and breeds, the decrease in the BCS between mating and lambing showed BR mobilization to balance nutritional restrictions, which continues until suckling; after weaning, a BR accretion was noted. The lambs' birth weight was similar regardless of the dams' BCS at lambing, though it was lower in the second year (3.5 vs. 4 kg). Lambs' growth parameters depended on ewes' BCS at lambing and weaning. Fertility rates changed with BCS changes and the higher values (80%) were recorded for ewes with BCSs between 2 and 2.5. However, prolificacy was similar for both breeds and years (p > 0.05). In conclusion, ewes have developed adaptative capacities through BR mobilization to cope with environmental challenges and successfully rear their offspring. To maintain a high offspring growth rate, it is recommended to plan correct flock nutrition during suckling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The domestic sheep with over 1200 breeds descended from those early domesticated animals that are bred for a variety of resources such as meat, milk and wool. Akkaraman, a fat‐tailed indigenous sheep breed of Türkiye, is widespread throughout Central Anatolia, with the largest indigenous sheep population. Assessing the genetic diversity and genomic structure of animal breeds is among the key contributors to deciphering adaptation to environmental extremes and constructing efficient genetic improvement strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize the genome of Akkaraman breed against various world‐renowned transboundary sheep and indigenous sheep with fat and thin tails. Genetic similarities and differences between those breeds have been displayed by estimating and comparing various genetic diversity indices, linkage disequilibrium (LD) estimates and fixation index (FST), runs of homozygosity (ROH) as well as PCA and neighbour‐joining tree analysis. Akkaraman sheep were observed to form a cluster alongside Moghani, Karakas, Tibetan and Cyprus Fat Tail sheep, which are primarily the sole representatives of fat‐tailed sheep in the study. This clustering was evident in both the PCA and neighbour‐joining tree analysis. The Akkaraman sheep was also observed to have the lowest genomic inbreeding and one of the lowest numbers of ROHs, which might also indicate that the breed has not been exposed to historical intensive selection pressure, inbred mating or a massive population bottleneck that might leave strong marks of genomic homozygosity. The results improve our understanding of the genetic diversity in Akkaraman sheep in comparison with certain mainstream sheep breeds as well as those indigenous breeds from around the world. Additionally, findings will also provide valuable insights to perform further GWAS effectively by considering population structure, diversity and LD patterns observed among the breeds while providing practical knowledge that will contribute to designing efficient and successful genome‐based selection programmes for worldwide sheep production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonality in sheep reproduction and related limitations make milk production challenging throughout the year. In the present study, we investigated the response to estrus induction treatments in three indigenous breeds, Florina, Chios, and Karagouniko, as well as the melatonin receptor 1A gene variants in relation to this response. The three distinct synchronization methods were A: intravaginal sponges, B: GNRH use, and C: male effect. In group A, fertility was 85%, and Florina ewes expressed estrus at 90% in July. Ewes from Karagouniko and Chios had fecundity rates of 95% and 99%, respectively, and 100% estrus expression. The Florina ewes in group B expressed estrus at a percentage of 60%, with a fecundity rate of 57%, the Karagouniko ewes at a percentage of 65%, with a fecundity rate of 54%, and the Chios breed animals at a percentage of 87%, with a fecundity rate of 85%. Twenty to twenty-five days after ram induction, 68% of the Florina breed in group C showed signs of estrus, compared to 84% and 94% of Karagouniko and Chios breeds, respectively. In both Florina and Karagouniko breeds, all treatments showed a substantial difference in the frequency of the four identified SNPs in the MTNR1A gene between ewes who expressed estrus and ewes who did not. The genetic improvement based on the alleles analyzed in the current study is expected to decrease seasonality rates in indigenous sheep breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: For this paper, we investigated the differences in adipose tissue deposition between sheep breeds with fat and thin tails, relying on advanced techniques like meta-analyses and machine learning to analyze gene expression data. Our findings revealed key genes associated with fat metabolism, shedding light on the genetic factors influencing tail fat in sheep. Notably, three specific genes (POSTN, K35, and SETD4) were identified as significant biosignatures related to fat deposition. This innovative approach (combining data analysis and machine learning) enhances our understanding of how to optimize fat deposition in sheep breeds, which holds potential for more efficient animal breeding strategies and carcass fat reduction. It has been shown that tail fat content varies significantly among sheep breeds and plays a significant role in meat quality. Recently, significant efforts have been made to understand the physiological, biochemical, and genomic regulation of fat deposition in sheep tails in order to unravel the mechanisms underlying energy storage and adipose tissue lipid metabolism. RNA-seq has enabled us to provide a high-resolution snapshot of differential gene expression between fat- and thin-tailed sheep breeds. Therefore, three RNA-seq datasets were meta-analyzed for the current work to elucidate the transcriptome profile differences between them. Specifically, we identified hub genes, performed gene ontology (GO) analysis, carried out enrichment analyses of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and validated hub genes using machine learning algorithms. This approach revealed a total of 136 meta-genes, 39 of which were not significant in any of the individual studies, indicating the higher statistical power of the meta-analysis. Furthermore, the results derived from the use of machine learning revealed POSTN, K35, SETD4, USP29, ANKRD37, RTN2, PRG4, and LRRC4C as substantial genes that were assigned a higher weight (0.7) than other meta-genes. Among the decision tree models, the Random Forest ones surpassed the others in adipose tissue predictive power fat deposition in fat- and thin-tailed breeds (accuracy > 0.85%). In this regard, combining meta-analyses and machine learning approaches allowed for the identification of three important genes (POSTN, K35, SETD4) related to lipid metabolism, and our findings could help animal breeding strategies optimize fat-tailed breeds' tail sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep farming plays a crucial role for Mediterranean countries, wherefrom a plethora of dairy products is produced. Yet, numerous indigenous sheep breeds in temperate latitudes such as the Mediterranean present a serious drawback that milk production is impaired by the seasonality of reproduction. Towards the efforts for reduction of this phenomenon, the purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare different oestrus synchronization treatments, as well as to associate two genes alleles', namely the MTNR1A and the GDF9, with the response to those treatments. Three indigenous breeds were investigated (Florina, Chios and Karagouniko sheep) and inside each breed three different oestrus synchronization treatments were applied (A: intravaginal sponges, B: GNRH use and C: male effect). In group A, Florina ewes expressed oestrus at 90% in July and fecundity was 85%. Karagouniko and Chios ewes exhibited an oestrus expression of 100% with fecundity rates at 95% and 99%, respectively. In group B, Florina ewes expressed oestrus at 60% with fecundity at 57%, Karagouniko ewes expressed oestrus at 65% with fecundity at 54%, whereas Chios breed animals expressed oestrus at 87% with fecundity rate at 85%. In group C, 68% of the Florina breed expressed oestrus 20–25 days post ram induction, whereas this proportion was 84% and 94%, for Karagouniko and Chios breed, respectively. For the molecular analysis, partial segments of the two genes were sequenced and analysed, whereas alleles were scored based on the detected SNPs. All frequencies of the four detected SNPs in MTNR1A gene were statistically and significantly different in ewes that expressed oestrus in comparison with ewes that did not express oestrus in Florina and Karagouniko breeds concerning all treatments. Two SNP's were detected in GDF9 gene, G1 and FecG, from which, only the FecG mutation exhibited statistically significant difference in twins and triplets than in singles in Florina and Karagouniko breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Records of five settled and five nomadic sheep enterprises in Karya-2, a sub-project of the "National Ovine Breeding by Public" project carried out by the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies of Denizli Province, Turkey, were examined in this study. In nomadic and settled enterprises, birth weights, 90-d live weights, 180-d live weights, 90-d daily live weight increase, and daily live weight increase up to 180 d were different. Birth types were different and the twin birth rates were higher in nomadic enterprises. The Karagoz type was more common. The proportion of male and female newborn lambs was similar. The nomadic breeders tended to separate the sheep in the herd more than the settled sheep; the number of animals devoted to breeding in the nomadic systems was found to be higher than in settled systems. The number of lambs per ewe decreased slightly over time from 2014-2018. Although the number of rams decreased, the number of breeding rams increased. There was no marked change in survival rate during the weaning period. There was an increase in live weight and fertility of Karya sheep from 2014-2018. The production averages of sheep in nomadic enterprises were more profitable and yields of measured parameters were higher than in the settled sheep enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About three decades of breeding and selection in the Valle del Belìce sheep are expected to have left several genomic footprints related to milk production traits. In this study, we have assembled a dataset with 451 individuals of the Valle del Belìce sheep breed: 184 animals that underwent directional selection for milk production and 267 unselected animals, genotyped for 40,660 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Three different statistical approaches, both within (iHS and ROH) and between (Rsb) groups, were used to identify genomic regions potentially under selection. Population structure analyses separated all individuals according to their belonging to the two groups. A total of four genomic regions on two chromosomes were jointly identified by at least two statistical approaches. Several candidate genes for milk production were identified, corroborating the polygenic nature of this trait and which may provide clues to potential new selection targets. We also found candidate genes for growth and reproductive traits. Overall, the identified genes may explain the effect of selection to improve the performances related to milk production traits in the breed. Further studies using high‐density array data, would be particularly relevant to refine and validate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In recent years, due to industry and market preferences, local animal breeds have been exposed to genetic erosion and extinction risk. Effective strategies for their recovery and conservation are needed. Gentile di Puglia (GdP) is an autochthonous sheep breed, typical of Southern Italy, with an aptitude for wool, meat, and milk production and considerable historical and cultural value. The development of a GdP gamete and embryo cryobank could help to support the numerical reimplementation of this population. Animal germplasm conservation is mainly performed through sperm cryopreservation, whereas strategies on the female side are developed in a limited way. In this study, the dual purpose of monitoring the reproductive efficiency in one pilot GdP farm in the Apulia region and setting up a cryopreservation protocol, by vitrification, of immature cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) recovered from pre-pubertal lambs, followed by an analysis of their in vitro maturation potential and bioenergetic-oxidative status, was pursued. The results indicated that traditional reproductive management leads to progressive offspring reduction and that ex situ biotechnological conservation strategies, through immature oocyte vitrification and in vitro maturation, can support in situ conservation, leading to in vitro embryo production and transfer. Gentile di Puglia (GdP) is an autochthonous sheep breed of Southern Italy included among ovine breeds threatened by genetic erosion and extinction risk, which have been given attention by local and international institutions, thus emphasizing the need for germplasm conservation actions. In the present study, two assisted reproduction approaches, finalized for GdP conservation, were performed: (1) on-farm reproductive efficiency evaluation, expressed as pregnancy rate (PR), twin pregnancy rate (tPR), and body condition score (BCS), for three consecutive breeding cycles and (2) pre-pubertal lambs' immature cumulus–oocyte complex (COC) retrieval, vitrification, in vitro maturation (IVM), and assessment of meiotic stage and bioenergetic-oxidative status compared with those of other Italian and European commercial breeds. PR and tPR were progressively reduced over time. In all clinical examination times, BCS was significantly lower in nonpregnant ewes compared with pregnant ones. Fresh GdP pre-pubertal lamb COCs achieved meiotic maturation and showed healthy bioenergetic–oxidative status after IVM. Vitrification reduced the oocyte maturation rate in all groups. However, mature oocytes retained their cytoplasmic maturity, expressed as a mitochondria distribution pattern and activity, indicating promising developmental competence. In conclusion, clinical- and biotechnological-assisted reproduction approaches can support conservation strategies of GdP and other local sheep breeds in Southern Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing fat deposition in sheep (Ovis aries) tails is one of the most important ways to combat rising costs and control consumer preference. Our previous studies have shown that oar-miR-432 is differentially expressed in the tail adipose tissue of Hu (a fat-tailed sheep breed) and Tibetan (a thin-tailed sheep breed) sheep and is a key factor in the negative regulation of fat deposition through BMP2 in ovine preadipocytes. This study investigated the effect of oar-miR-432 and its target genes in ovine preadipocytes. A dual luciferase assay revealed that DDI1 is a direct target gene of oar-miR-432. We transfected an oar-miR-432 mimic and inhibitor into preadipocytes to analyze the expression of target genes. Overexpression of oar-miR-432 inhibits DDI1 expression, whereas inhibition showed the opposite results. Compared with thin-tailed sheep, DDI1 was highly expressed in the fat-tailed sheep at the mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, we transfected the overexpression and knockdown target genes into preadipocytes to analyze their influence after inducing differentiation. Knockdown of DDI1 induced ovine preadipocyte differentiation into adipocytes but suppressed oar-miR-432 expression. Conversely, the overexpression of DDI1 significantly inhibited differentiation but promoted oar-miR-432 expression. DDI1 overexpression also decreased the content of triglycerides. Additionally, DDI1 is a nested gene in intron 1 of PDGFD. When DDI1 was overexpressed, the PDGFD expression also increased, whereas DDI1 knockdown showed the opposite results. This is the first study to reveal the biological mechanisms by which oar-miR-432 inhibits preadipocytes through DDI1 and provides insight into the molecular regulatory mechanisms of DDI1 in ovine preadipocytes. These results have important applications in animal breeding and obesity-related human diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The level of supplementation of low-quality forage diets before and in the early gestation period may influence the performance of different hair sheep breeds. Dorper, Katahdin, and St. Croix sheep consumed wheat straw ad libitum supplemented with 0.15% initial body weight (BW) of soybean meal or a 1:3 mixture of soybean meal and rolled corn at 1% BW for 162 days with 84 or 97 days pre-breeding. Supplement treatment by breed did not generally influence feed intake, BW, body condition and mass indexes, or reproductive performance. Although soybean meal given alone boosted straw intake, it resulted in lower total feed intake, litter size, and total litter birth weight compared with the higher level of supplementation. Body condition score and mass indexes and BW were affected by breed, but reproductive performance was not influenced. Therefore, hair sheep regardless of breed fed low-protein and high-fiber forage such as wheat straw should be supplemented at a higher level with consideration of the inclusion of a feedstuff(s) high in energy along with protein during these physiological periods. Female hair sheep, 27 Dorper (DOR), 41 Katahdin (KAT), and 39 St. Croix (STC), were used to determine influences of the nutritional plane before breeding and in early gestation on feed intake, body weight, body condition score, body mass indexes, blood constituent concentrations, and reproductive performance. There were 35 multiparous and 72 primiparous sheep, with initial ages of 5.6 ± 0.25 years and 1.5 ± 0.01 years, respectively (average overall initial age of 2.8 ± 0.20 years). Wheat straw (4% crude protein; dry matter [DM] basis) was consumed ad libitum and supplemented with approximately 0.15% initial body weight (BW) of soybean meal (LS) or a 1:3 mixture of soybean meal and rolled corn at 1% BW (HS; DM). The supplementation period was 162 days, with the breeding of animals in two sets sequentially, with the pre-breeding period 84 and 97 days, and that after breeding began at 78 and 65 days, respectively. Wheat straw DM intake (1.75, 1.30, 1.57, 1.15, 1.80, and 1.38% BW; SEM = 0.112) was lower (p < 0.05), but average daily gain (−46, 42, −44, 70, −47, and 51 g for DOR-LS, DOR-HS, KAT-LS, KAT-HS, STC-LS, and STC-HS, respectively; SEM = 7.3) was greater (p < 0.05) for HS than LS treatment during the supplementation period. Additionally, changes in body condition score during the supplementation period (−0.61, 0.36, −0.53, 0.27, −0.39, and −0.18; SEM = 0.058), and changes in body mass index based on height at the withers and body length from the point of the shoulder to the pin bone (BW/[height × length], g/cm2) from 7 days before supplementation (day −7) to day 162 were −1.99, 0.07, −2.19, −0.55, −2.39, and 0.17 for DOR-LS, DOR-HS, KAT-LS, KAT-HS, STC-LS, and STC-HS, respectively; (SEM = 0.297) were affected by supplement treatment. All blood constituent concentrations and characteristics addressed varied with the day of sampling (−7, 14, 49, 73, and 162) as well as the interaction between the supplement treatment and the day (p < 0.05), with few effects of interactions involving breed. Birth rate (66.7, 93.5, 84.6, 95.5, 82.8, and 100.0; SEM = 9.83) and individual lamb birth weight (4.50, 4.61, 4.28, 3.98, 3.73, and 3.88 kg; SEM = 0.201) were not affected by supplement treatment (p = 0.063 and 0.787, respectively), although litter size (0.92, 1.21, 1.17, 1.86, 1.12, and 1.82; SEM = 0.221) and total litter birth weight (5.84, 5.74, 5.92, 7.52, 5.04, and 6.78 kg for DOR-LS, DOR-HS, KAT-LS, KAT-HS, STC-LS, and STC-HS, respectively; SEM = 0.529) were greater (p < 0.05) for HS than for LS. In conclusion, although there was some compensation in wheat straw intake for the different levels of supplementation, soybean meal given alone rather than with cereal grain adversely affected BW, BCS, BMI, and reproductive performance, the latter primarily through litter size but also via a trend for an effect on the birth rate. Hence, the supplementation of low-protein and high-fiber forage such as wheat straw should include a consideration of the inclusion of a feedstuff(s) high in energy in addition to nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep breeding and feeding in the steppe areas of Algeria is often linked to the use of pastures, but in light of climatic changes, drought, and deterioration of pastures, sheep breeders resorted to adopting pastoral agriculture to meet the needs of their livestock as a result of the deterioration of pastures, in addition to determining the patterns of livestock breeding in the Ain Ben Khelile region, Nâama Province (western Algeria). From a natural area characterised by a stepic environment in the region of Ain Ben Khelile wilaya of Nâama West of Algeria, A 02 year's field survey and investigation (2021-2022), 50 farmers who agreed to cooperate in the research were randomly selected to engage in agriculture and animal husbandry. These farms are also located in a lower arid bioclimatic zone with cool winters. The methodological approach followed to carry out our study requires the use of appropriate observation or survey methods and the use of analysis means adapted to the situations encountered. In this context, the means used to carry out this work are based on documentary research, surveys and observations. Based on field investigations, three main categories of livestock breeders were distinguished the farmers surveyed have at least an education level thanks to the reforms carried out by the Algerian state in the field of rural development and that this profession did not remain the prerogative of illiterate people. The majority of educators surveyed are elderly as 52% of educators surveyed are between 36 and 50 years of age and 42% of educators surveyed have a primary education. It seems that the breeding of the Ouled Djellal and Rembi sheep breed is of great interest to livestock breeders because of its rusticity and ease of fattening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ile de France meat breed of sheep was imported to Bulgaria for the first time in 1968. Аccording to data from the Ile de France Breeding Association in Bulgaria (AIlFB), about 8.000 purebred animals are bred in Bulgaria. A part of the purebred sheep included in the breeding process with the breed in Bulgaria are introduced, but extremely well acclimatized. A dermatoglyph characteristics of the nasolabial plate of yearlings and ewes of Ile de France bred in Bulgaria was made. The colour, texture, type, structure and area of the nasolabial plate were studied. The nasolabial plate is a modified skin section, and the furrows, folds, shafts and granules that are located on its surface form fragments and configurations strictly individual for each specimen, remaining unchanged throughout ontogeny. The objective of the present research work was to study the colour, type, structure and area of the nasolabial plate of Ile de France sheep introduced and acclimatized in Bulgaria. According to the type of dermatoglyph on the nasolabial plate are established "Furrow" dermatotype (77.4%), followed by "Cross" dermatotype (15.6%) and the least representative is "Grain" dermatotype (7%). The studied dermatotypes can be used for identification and passporting, and also as a selection marker for the breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the effects of global warming become increasingly complex and difficult to manage, the conservation and sustainable use of locally adapted sheep breeds are gaining ground. Portuguese native sheep breeds are important reservoirs of genetic diversity, highly adapted to harsh environments and reared in low input production systems. Genomic data that would describe the breeds in detail and accelerate the selection of more resilient animals to be able to cope with climatic challenges are still lacking. Here, we sequenced the genomes of 37 animals from four Portuguese native sheep breeds (Campaniça, Bordaleira Serra da Estrela, Merino Branco and Merino Preto) and 19 crossbred sheep to make inferences on their genomic diversity and population structure. Mean genomic diversities were very similar across these breeds (.30 ≤ Ho ≤ .34; .30 ≤ He ≤ .35; 1.7 x 10-3 ≤ π ≤ 3.1 x 10-3) and the levels of inbreeding were negligible (.005 ≤ FIS ≤ .038). The Principal Components, Bayesian clustering and Treemix analyses split the Portuguese breeds in two main groups which are consistent with historical records: one comprising Campaniça and Serra da Estrela together with other European and transboundary dairy breeds; and another of the well-differentiated multi-purpose Merino and Merino-related breeds. Runs of homozygosity analyses yielded 1,690 ROH segments covering an average of 2.27 Gb across the genome in all individuals. The overall genome covered by ROH segments varied from 27,75 Mb in Serra da Estrela to 61,29 Mb in Campaniça. The phylogenetic analysis of sheep mitogenomes grouped the Portuguese native breeds within sub-haplogroup B1a along with two animals of the Akkaraman breed from Turkey. This result provides additional support to a direct influence of Southwest Asian sheep in local breeds from the Iberian Peninsula. Our study is a first step pertaining to the genomic characterization of Portuguese sheep breeds and the results emphasize the potential of genomic data as a valid tool to guide conservation efforts in locally adapted sheep breeds. In addition, the genomic data we generated can be used to identify markers for breed assignment and traceability of certified breed-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study of the peculiarities of the anatomy of sheep and rabbits' digestive systems is an important way to improve the efficiency of these animals' breeding. Aim: The aim of the presented research was to study structural changes of such digestive glands as the liver and the pancreas which occur in the process of ontogenesis in sheep and rabbits. Methods: Sheep of the "Kazakh fat-tailed semi-coarse-wooled" breed (n = 8) raised in the "Sayan" private peasant agriculture and rabbits of the "Grey Giant" breed (n = 8), raised on the mini rabbit farm of the Agriculture Faculty of Shakarim University were used in the research. Two experimental animal groups were formed (of sheep, "Kazakh fat-tailed semi-coarse-wooled" breed, n = 8; rabbits, "Grey Giant" breed, n = 8). The liver and pancreas' ontogenesis development has been studied in these animals. Results: The study presents a holistic view of the macro-microscopic structure of the liver and the pancreas of animals in crucial age periods, stages, and phases of postembryonic ontogenesis (by the example of sheep and rabbits). The authors have traced age stages of adaptive change and structural-functional change of stromal-parenchymatous structures of the liver in sheep and rabbits taking into account stages and crucial phases of development. Conclusion: Development of the liver and the pancreas are characterized by discontinuous growth in the process of postnatal ontogenesis. A crucially important period is the first months after birth, during which the weight and functionality of these organs grow rapidly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the European Union, animal breeding programs have been implemented to increase scrapie resistance in sheep. In addition to increasing animal resistance to an infectious disease, selection for pathogen resistance has the potential to lessen the transmission of the pathogen to offspring, particularly when the population under consideration may serve as the primary pathogen reservoir. Several sheep populations from Romania were used in this study: Tsurcana; Tsigae; Merinos; Cap Negru de Teleorman and some imported breeds: Suffolk; Ille de France and Awassi. Sanger sequencing method was used to identify PRNP genetic polymorphism, at 136, 154 and 171 codons. From the analyzed samples, a moderate share of the homozygous ARR allele, responsible for the highest resistance to scrapie, respectively (R1), was observed, and the heterozygous ARR/ARQ (R2) and homozygous ARQ/ARQ (R3) genotypes had an abundance of over 50% of the genotype panel. In practice, the use of phenotype as input to the model is given by numbers (risk classes from 1 to 5). To estimate the heritability of resistance to scrapie, the animal threshold model was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to estimate genomic heritability and the impact that genetic backgrounds have on blood parameters in Akkaraman sheep by conducting genome-wide association studies and regional heritability mapping analysis. Genomic heritability estimates for blood parameters ranged from 0.00 to 0.55, indicating that measured phenotypes have a low to moderate heritability. A total of 7 genome- and 13 chromosome-wide significant SNPs were associated with phenotypic changes in 15 blood parameters tested. Accordingly, SCN7A, SCN9A, MYADM-like, CCDC67, ITGA9, MGAT5, SLC19A1, AMPH, NTRK2, MSRA, SLC35F3, SIRT6, CREB3L3, and NAV3 genes as well as three undefined regions (LOC101117887, LOC106991526 and LOC105608461) were suggested as candidates. Most of the identified genes were involved in basic biological processes that are essential to immune system function and cellular growth; specific functions include cellular transport, histone deacetylation, cell differentiation, erythropoiesis, and endocytosis. The top significant SNP for HCT, MCH, and MCHC was found within a genomic region mainly populated by the MYADM-like gene family. This region was previously suggested to be under historical selection pressure in many sheep breeds from various parts of the world. These results have implications on animal breeding program studies due to the effect that the genetic background has on blood parameters, which underlying many productive and wellness related traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: There is a large number of sheep breeds worldwide. Today, many of them are endangered, because there are very little market demands for the majority of breeds. The integration of sheep in viticultural systems offers a promising option to put sheep and unique breed characteristics in value. However, it is unknown which characteristics and breeds are best suited for this purpose. The lack of information leads to problems in the implementation of this so-called new integrated crop-livestock system. In our research, we addressed this challenge. We studied 26 breeds and tested their suitability for integration into common vineyards of Central Europe. Two breeds fulfill the most important requirement. Southdown and Shropshire, for the latter especially, the sheep of the shorter legged Danish type seem to be unable to stand on two legs. Their muzzle heights stay within a tolerable range without harming the foliage area of vines. Therefore, adult animals of both breeds seem suitable to take over important viticultural tasks during the growing season. A third breed, the Ouessant sheep, is suitable with some limitations. Protecting a breed of sheep is simple when there is demand for its breed traits, but new market options are often hard to find. In general, grazing sheep are able to take over some viticultural work. Here, we address a new and promising integrated crop-livestock system that involves the integration of sheep in the vineyard during the growing season. Using sheep in a vineyard entails opportunities but also risks, such as the current lack of information, specifically in relation to breed traits. In our survey, we evaluated 26 breeds for their suitability for grazing as long as possible in Central European vineyards during the growing season. First, the breed traits required were identified. Then, 94 flock book breeders were interviewed about specific breed traits. The height of a sheep's muzzle is particularly important for assessing the suitability of a breed, as it defines the potential impact on the foliage area during the growing season. To determine the height of the muzzle, 179 flock book animals were measured. We found that the most important breeding objective for a new breed of sheep is the inability to stand on two legs. Adult animals of the breed Shropshire, and among these especially the shorter-legged Danish type, and Southdown, show a widespread inability to stand on two legs. Ouessant sheep are able to do so, yet are suitable with some limitations. Due to their extraordinarily small size, their reach is limited, as is their grazing performance. Thus, three of the 26 breeds studied here seem suitable for use in the most widespread vine training systems of Central Europe during the growing season. Targeted breeding could further improve the suitability of sheep for viticulture. Our findings could help to protect breeds and breed traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current study aimed to perform whole-genome resequencing of Chinese indigenous Mongolian sheep breeds including Ujimqin, Sunit, and Wu Ranke sheep breeds (UJMQ, SNT, WRK) and deeply analyze genetic variation, population structure, domestication, and selection for domestication traits among these Mongolian sheep breeds. Methods: Blood samples were collected from a total of 60 individuals comprising 20 WRK, 20 UJMQ, and 20 SNT. For genome sequencing, about 1.5 µg of genomic DNA was used for library construction with an insert size of about 350 bp. Pair-end sequencing were performed on Illumina NovaSeq platform, with the read length of 150 bp at each end. We then investigated the domestication and signatures of selection in these sheep breeds. Results: According to the population and demographic analyses, WRK and SNT populations were very similar, which were different from UJMQ populations. Genome wide association study identified 468 and 779 significant loci from SNT vs UJMQ, and UJMQ vs WRK, respectively. However, only 3 loci were identified from SNT vs WRK. Genomic comparison and selective sweep analysis among these sheep breeds suggested that genes associated with regulation of secretion, metabolic pathways including estrogen metabolism and amino acid metabolism, and neuron development have undergone strong selection during domestication. Conclusion: Our findings will facilitate the understanding of Chinese indigenous Mongolian sheep breeds domestication and selection for complex traits and provide a valuable genomic resource for future studies of sheep and other domestic animal breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade‐offs between host resistance to parasites and host growth or reproduction can occur due to allocation of limited available resources between competing demands. To predict potential trade‐offs arising from genetic selection for host resistance, a better understanding of the associated nutritional costs is required. Here, we studied resistance costs by using sheep from lines divergently selected on their resistance to a common blood‐feeding gastro‐intestinal parasite (Haemonchus contortus). First, we assessed the effects of selection for high or low host resistance on condition traits (body weight, back fat, and muscle thickness) and infection traits (parasite fecal egg excretion and loss in blood haematocrit) at various life stages, in particular during the periparturient period when resource allocation to immunity may limit host resistance. Second, we analysed the condition–infection relationship to detect a possible trade‐off, in particular during the periparturient period. We experimentally infected young females in four stages over their first 2 years of life, including twice around parturition (at 1 year and at 2 years of age). Linear mixed‐model analyses revealed a large and consistent between‐line difference in infection traits during growth and outside of the periparturient period, whereas this difference was strongly attenuated during the periparturient period. Despite their different responses to infection, lines had similar body condition traits. Using covariance decomposition, we then found that the phenotypic relationship between infection and condition was dominated by direct infection costs arising from parasite development within the host. Accounting for these within‐individual effects, a cost of resistance on body weight was detected among ewes during their first reproduction. Although this cost and the reproductive constraint on resistance are unlikely to represent a major concern for animal breeding in nutrient‐rich environments, this study provides important new insights regarding the nutritional costs of parasite resistance at different lifestages and how these may affect response to selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present research was to estimate some economic indicators of raising sheep of the North-East Bulgarian merino breed (Shumen type). Study was conducted at the sheep farm of the Research Agriculture Center – Targovishte for the period from 2018 to 2020. The production system applied at the farm was semi-intensive, with stall-pasture regime. The annual repair of the flock was 20%, breeding animals being of own production. Conception rate of females was about 92%, and prolificacy varied from 70 to 90% on average for the study period. Most of the feeds were produced at the farm and valued at cost, and only part of them were purchased at market prices. The farm is a member of the „Association for breeding of thin-wool sheep”, which performs selection control of the animals in the flock. Data were provided by the accounting department of the enterprise and processed using mathematical-statistical model and computer program Excel. Therefore, revenues from sales and subsidies, production costs, profit and profitability were calculated. It was found that the sheep farm generated financial loss, based on the difference between revenues from sales and total costs, and the positive annual value of the profit and profitability was due to the received subsidies. Efforts need to be focused on increasing animal performance, reducing costs per ewe and using all available opportunities to receive subsidies by the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this paper, we study the inter-relationships among geography, climate, and genetics in Italian local cattle and sheep breeds. In terms of genetic diversity, geography (latitude and longitude) appears to play a larger role in sheep (26.4%) than that in cattle (13.8%). Once geography is accounted for, 10.1% of cattle genomic diversity and 13.3% of that of sheep are attributable to climatic effects. Stronger geographic effects in sheep can be related to a combination of higher predomestication genetic variability together with biological and productive specializations. The climate alone seems to have had less impact on the current genetic diversity in both species even if climate and geography are greatly confounded. Results confirm that both species are the result of complex evolutionary histories triggered by interactions between human needs and environmental conditions. Understanding the relationships among geography, climate, and genetics is increasingly important for animal farming and breeding. In this study, we examine these inter-relationships in the context of local cattle and sheep breeds distributed along the Italian territory. To this aim, we used redundancy analysis on genomic data from previous projects combined with geographical coordinates and corresponding climatic data. The effect of geographic factors (latitude and longitude) was more important in sheep (26.4%) than that in cattle (13.8%). Once geography had been partialled out of analysis, 10.1% of cattle genomic diversity and 13.3% of that of sheep could be ascribed to climatic effects. Stronger geographic effects in sheep can be related to a combination of higher pre-domestication genetic variability together with biological and productive specificities. Climate alone seems to have had less impact on current genetic diversity in both species, even if climate and geography are greatly confounded. Results confirm that both species are the result of complex evolutionary histories triggered by interactions between human needs and environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on Zandi sheep were analysed to quantify maternal and paternal imprinting, X chromosome and litter effects' contribution to phenotypic variation in birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), growth rate (GR), Kleiber ratio (KR), efficiency of growth (EF) and relative growth rate (RGR). To this end, a two‐step approach was adopted. In the first step, each trait was analysed with a series of 16 animal models, which were identical for fixed and autosomal additive genetic effects but differed for combinations of maternal permanent environmental, maternal genetic, X chromosome and litter effects. For each trait, the best model was selected by the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and likelihood ratio tests (LRTs). In the second step, three additional models were fitted by adding maternal imprinting, paternal imprinting or both (models 17, 18 and 19) to the best model selected in the first step. Estimators of bias, dispersion and accuracy of breeding values estimated within 19 models with whole, and partial data were used to evaluate how well were the 19 models in estimating breeding values for the animals when their records were masked. For all traits studied, fitting the litter effect led to a better data fit. Also, it resulted in noticeable decreases in residual variance and other maternal variances. For growth traits, models containing the X‐linked effects fitted the data substantially better than corresponding models without the X‐linked effects. For BW, WW and GR, estimates of X‐linked heritability (hs2) ranged between 0.09 (GR) and 0.14 (BW). Ignoring X‐linked effects from the genetic evaluation model resulted in significant inflated autosomal additive genetic variance. For BW, WW, EF and RGR, models containing the imprinting effects provided a better fit of the data than otherwise identical models. Imprinting effects contributed significantly to the phenotypic variation of these traits in a range between 5% (RGR) and 8% (BW, WW). A sharp decline was observed in autosomal additive genetic variance following including imprinting effects in the model (27% to 40% depending on the trait). The least bias and dispersion, as well as greater accuracies for breeding values of focal animals, were for a model which included imprinting, X‐linked and litter effects. It was concluded that imprinting, X‐linked and litter effects need to be included in the genetic evaluation models for growth and efficiency‐related traits of Zandi lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IGFBP-3 is responsible for the multiple effects of growth factors in most mammalian species and is considered the major transport factor of growth, used as a marker for different body functions such as growth, metabolism, reproduction, body weight control, immunity, energy balance, and so on. Considered as a candidate gene, used as a marker for the growth and production traits as its essential role in the growth and development of the animals. For the DNA extraction, the blood samples are obtained in the jugular vein using a 10 ml vacutainer containing EDTA as a coagulant in the blood collection of each animal Mis breed of sheep (M), Ile de France (F), and Wurttemberg (W). Isolation of DNA performed using the extraction kit (Quick DNA kit) with primers set the Forward and Reverse. The body weights of lambs from birth to 90 days of age, also been calculated. The results of the agarose gel electrophoresis of PCR amplified IGFBP-3 genes for sheep populations Wurttemberg (W), Mis (M), and Ile de France (F) had 654 bp. In our results showed an absence of polymorphism of the IGFBP-3 gene on the tested sheep populations. The results that there is no polymorphism between the examined sheep breeds, in terms of IGFBP-3 genes, we were interested whether there are differences in the body development of lambs of the mentioned populations because IGFBP-3 is related to the growth of animals. All three breeds have similar weights and growth dynamics, which could link to the growth hormone. Analyzing obtained results, we can suggest that absence of a large difference in the growth of the three breeds of sheep W, M, F does not have to be related to the absence of polymorphism of the IGFBP-3 gene but also other genetic and non-genetic factors can affect this trait. To detect the association between genetic polymorphism in IGFBP-3 genes and body development in lambs, DNA sequencing is required, which will be the subject of our future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Body condition score in sheep was used to evaluate the adequacy of previous feed supply, decide potential feed requirements in the future, evaluate individual animal health status, decide animal condition during daily routine, welfare inspection and in meat production systems. Methods: 60 Nellore brown ewes from Livestock Research Station, Mamnoor, Warangal district was randomly allotted to three rearing systems i.e intensive (G1), semi-intensive (G2) and extensive (G3) system of each 20 animals. BCS and body weight of the sheep was recorded at various reproductive stages i.e. just before breeding of animals, during pregnancy and lactation period to assess the nutritional status and reproductive performance of the sheep. Result: The mean average body weight (kg) of pregnant ewes in G2 group had no significant (P<0.05) difference with G3 group. The average mean body weight (kg) of ewes in G1 (27.58±0.37 kg) group had significant (P<0.05) difference with G2 (25.50±0.32 kg) group during lactation period of 90 days. The total gain of BCS during pregnancy period in the G1, G2 and G3 groups were 0.63±0.06, 0.53±0.06 and 0.44±0.11, respectively. The overall mean BCS of the ewes 48hrs after lambing was higher in G1 (3.0±0.10) group followed by G2 (2.73±0.10) and G3 (2.38±0.08) group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep flocks of the Teleorman Black Head breed started to grow and spread almost all over Romania since 2010 when this breed was homologated and a breeding programme was implemented to improve the productive traits of the animals within the breed, especially milk production. However, the animals of this breed have a large body size, a high growth gain for lambs and good carcass weights are obtained at slaughter. On the Romanian market, lambs that are not kept for fattening are destined for export, especially to Arab countries, or for slaughter and consumption during the period around Easter. Since average daily gain is a trait with medium heritability (h=0.16-0.45) [1], the environment in which animals are reared needs to be studied and optimized. The aim of this study is to identify the environmental factors that influenced the performance of young sheep from two farms in different areas in the NE of Romania. The biological material taken in the study was the lambs from the two farms, 277 in farm A and 380 in farm B obtained from the 2021 lambing campaign from a flock of 252 mother ewes in farm A and 376 mother ewes in farm B. The lambs were weighed according to the COP (Official Production Control) procedure, both at birth and at weaning. The average daily gain of lambs on farm A ranged from 229.5 g to 319.8 g, with an average of 273.23 g for females, and from 280.7 g to 405.7 g for males, with an average of 340.66 g, and on farm B from 243.2 to 275.2 for females, with an average of 259.43 g, and from 307.2 g to 408.5 g for males, with an average of 368.7 g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simple Summary: Historically, sheep breeding has played a key role in Kazakhstan. At present, due to the population's increasing meat consumption, there is a high interest in the distribution of sheep breeds of different productivity levels. In our study, we describe the genetic structure and results of population analysis of a new breed called Baisary, which belongs to the meat-fat breeds and has favorable phenotypic traits. We reveal that this breed is genetically differentiated from its ancestors and other breeds, and shortly, it could be registered as a separate breed. This study helps with understanding the gene pool and genetic diversity of sheep breeds in Kazakhstan and should increase farmers' interest in Baisary sheep. Lamb meat has become increasingly popular in several nations during the last few decades, especially in Kazakhstan. Due to the rising demand for lamb meat, our sheep breeders developed a new fat-tailed sheep and named the breed Baisary. Animals of the Baisary breed are characterized by a large physique, strong constitution, stretched body, deep and wide chest, medium or large-sized fat tail, long legs (height at the withers of adult rams 85–100 cm, sheep 75–90 cm), long lanceolate ears and strong hooves. Lambs of the Baisary breed surpass their peers of the original parent breeds by 15–20% in live weight at the weaning period. To characterize the genetic structure of Baisary sheep and compare it with the ancestral breeds, we genotyped 247 individuals from five sheep breeds with Ovine SNP50K. The estimated private allelic richness ranged from 0.0030 to 0.0047, with the minimum and maximum provided by the Gissar (Giss1) and Kazakh meat-wool breeds, respectively. The highest and lowest FIS values, meanwhile, were observed in the Afghan fat-tailed population and Baisary sheep, respectively. The calculated inbreeding coefficient showed that Edilbay and Baisary sheep have excess heterozygosity. According to principal components analysis, Baisary are close to Gissar populations, the Afghan fat-tailed breed and Edilbay sheep. These results were consistent with the Admixture and phylogenetic analysis. Overall, our results indicated that Baisary sheep differ genetically from their progenitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contents: This study investigated the effects of melatonin implants in the female and male animals before the breeding season on the reproductive performance of Tahirova sheep and Turkish Saanen goats. Seventy‐five sheep and 53 goats (including 6 rams and 4 bucks) were used in the research. Melatonin implants (18 mg) were applied to half of the female and male animals, one to female animals and three to male animals. The rate of oestrus was determined as 100% in the melatonin (M) and control (C) groups. The non‐return rate, conception rate and lambing rate were close in both groups of ewes and rams groups (p >.05). The rate of oestrus was 100% in the melatonin and control groups of does and bucks groups in Turkish Saanen goats. The non‐return rate in does was 75.0 ± 9.02% in M group and 92.0 ± 5.53% in C group (p =.0101), the non‐return rate was 83.3 ± 6.92% in group M and 84.2 ± 8.59% in group C for bucks (p =.5570). For ewes, the duration from ram introduction to first oestrus, conception and lambing was significantly lower in group M than in group C (p ≤.05). Litter size of M in ewe and ram groups were 1.70 ± 0.08 and 1.59 ± 0.09, respectively, whereas it was 1.62 ± 0.10 and 1.74 ± 0.10 in C group, respectively. Birth weight significantly differed between ewe groups (p =.0017). For goats, the duration from buck introduction to first oestrus, conception and lambing was similar in the groups of does and bucks (p >.05). Litter size of M in doe and buck groups were 1.57 ± 0.11 and 1.53 ± 0.12, respectively, and 1.46 ± 0.11and 1.50 ± 0.09 in C group, respectively (p >.05). While the live weight and body condition score (BCS) of ewes were significantly affected by melatonin implants (p ≤.05), the live weight and BCS of does were not affected. In conclusion, it might be said that melatonin implants obtained better results for reproduction in Tahirova sheep than Turkish Saanen goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the first wide-scale study to reveal next-generation sequencing-based and comprehensive study to reveal genetic diversity, population structure, and phylogenetic relationships of some of Türkiye's indigenous fat-tailed sheep breeds. A total of 80 animals belonging to Akkaraman (AKR), Güney Karaman (GKR), Morkaraman (MKR), and Karakaş (KRK) sheep breeds were genotyped with genome-wide of 296.097 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) data recovered from double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) libraries processed by Illumina HiSeq X Ten instrument. Minor allele frequency (MAF) ranged from 0.311 (MKR) to 0.316 (AKR and GKR). Observed heterozygosity (H O) values were higher than expected values (H E) across all populations with a mean of 0.307. Negative inbreeding coefficient (F IS) values were observed in four sheep populations varying between −0.034 (AKR) to −0.060 (MKR). Cross-entropy criterion-based ADMIXTURE analysis demonstrated that four Anatolian sheep breeds were represented by two ancestral populations in which GKR and AKR were distinct, while KRK and MKR were mixed populations. Genetic distance-based tree, discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), and ADMIXTURE analyses confirmed that GKR, which is believed to be derived from the AKR breed, has become genetically different from other sheep populations. Moreover, no migration from and into the GKR breed was detected, while a migration edge was drawn from the KRK and MKR clade into the AKR breed by the TreeMix algorithm. This study confirmed that high-density SNP data obtained from advanced next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms are efficient in genetically distinguishing animal breeds, even varieties. It is recommended that further NGS-based studies could be carried out to better characterize different indigenous livestock populations raised in Türkiye. • The study reveals high genetic diversity, with 296,097 SNPs obtained across the genome, in four Anatolian sheep breeds. • GKR breed genetically diverged from AKR, questioning prior assumptions. • The study provides a significant guide for understanding the genetic structure of Anatolian sheep breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trypanosomiasis is a disease caused by unicellular protozoan parasites. Small ruminants succumb to trypanosomiasis in areas of high tsetse fly challenge, resulting in serious economic loss often to farmers in low-input smallholder systems. At present, trypanosomiasis is treated with trypanocidal drugs, but access to these can be limited, and increasing parasite resistance raises questions about their efficacy. The development of trypanotolerance in small ruminant flocks through targeted breeding strategies is considered a sustainable and economical option for controlling African trypanosomiasis. Recently, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with trypanotolerance traits in sheep have been reported. The results of these studies form the basis for more studies to identify QTLs associated with trypanosomiasis resistance, particularly in African livestock species. For example, signatures of positive selection for trypanotolerance have been identified using genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism data. However, there are several challenges in performing genetic analyses using data from low-input smallholder systems, including a lack of recorded pedigree and production records and the need for large sample sizes when flock sizes are often fewer than 50 animals. Breeding strategies to improve trypanotolerance should also preserve existing genetic diversity as well as minimize excessive genetic introgression by trypanosusceptible breeds. This review discusses the possibilities of breeding for trypanosome tolerance/resistance in low-input/low-output small ruminant production systems. Potential challenges are outlined, and potential available genetic resources are described as a foundation for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milk is a product with highly dynamic characteristics. Its composition varies according to the breed, lactation period, nutrition, health status of the animal, as well as the conditions of milking and storage. Investigation of genetic potential and productive traits of farm animals is essential for every producer. The phenotypic characteristics of sheep are the result of the complex interaction of a wide range of genetic and non-genetic factors. They are slightly influenced by traditional selection. Therefore, it is essential to study the genetic pattern of inheritance of these traits. In the last decades of the 20th century, several researchers have studied genetic variation in populations of different breeds of farm animals, using genetic markers of class I, such as blood types and polymorphisms of proteins in blood and milk. Modern methods of molecular biology make it possible to use class II genetic markers in research to identify genetic polymorphisms in the loci of molecular markers and associate them to certain phenotype characteristics, study the laws of organization and functioning of the genome, decipher the mechanisms for the realization of genetic information. The obtained data from these analyzes are successfully applied in the development of breeding programs in animal husbandry practice, to speed up the realization of genetic progress. Some of the main major candidate genes that have been studied related to milk productivity in sheep are: prolactin, αs1, αs2, β and κ-casein, α- and β-lactoglobulin, PIT-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A genetic improvement programme is a sustainable, cumulative and permanent approach to achieving year-on-year performance gains. Its success is predicated not only on an efficient and effective breeding programme but also on a vision of the traits of importance in the future. A single, industry-owned, centralised database for cattle and sheep has been the foundation for genetic improvement programmes in Ireland. While DNA information has been heralded as a breakthrough for accelerating genetic gain, the basic principles of a successful animal breeding programme still remain the same: (1) a pertinent breeding goal, (2) the appropriate breeding objective to deliver on the breeding goal, (3) an accurate genetic evaluation system, (4) an efficient and effective breeding scheme, and (5) a system to disseminate the elite germplasm to the end user; also of importance is a system for validating the underlying procedures and principles. The constituent traits and their relative emphasis within breeding objectives will continue to be contentious. Traits that will need to be considered more in future ruminant breeding objectives include environmental impact, product quality and animal well-being, including health; while not always explicitly included in Irish breeding objectives for cattle and sheep, indirect improvements for many are expected via the genetic improvement in traits like reproductive performance and survival as well as macro measures of quality such as milk fat and protein concentration and carcass merit. Crucial for the future sustainability of ruminant production systems is the co-evolution of management systems and breeding programmes so that the animal of the future is suited to the most sustainably efficient production system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to determine the current state and dynamics of the Staroplaninski tsigai breed in Bulgaria. Information from the pedigree books of the controlled part of the population as well as the reports of the "Organization for breeding of Tsigai, Romanov and local sheep breeds" for the period 2012-2021 was used. Analysis of the geographical distribution, dynamics of the number of controlled animals, reproduction, size and age structure of the herds was performed. Association "Organization for breeding of Tsigai, Romanov and local breeds of sheep" carries out selection and control as the only breeding organization working with Staroplaninski Tsigai, which contains 10010 sheep. The farms with herd sizes between 50 and 200 animals form the largest part. Controlled sheep are bred in 58 farms in 10 districts of the country, an average of 172 sheep per farm. The number of young breeding animals is low and provides reproduction of ewes 13.8% and rams − 10.8%. This low percentage of reproduction suggests a relatively low selection differential for the main productive traits, and respectively lower effect of selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to determine some breeding practices in sheep farms in Malatya province. For this purpose, 193 sheep farms were evaluated within the scope of the research and a face-to-face questionnaire was conducted with their owners. In the study, it was determined that sheep farming enterprises have positive characteristics in terms of some criteria of breeding practices, however, there are some deficiencies in terms of some preferences. In the study, 65.11% of the breeders had 100-299 sheep existence, 79.58% raised their herds for 6 months in farms and 6 months in the pasture, 84.97% of them shepherds their own herd, 54.69% provided breeding animals from their business, 57.59% sold surplus breeding sheep to traders for fattening, 47.90% kept business records, 98.92% milked the sheep by hand, 45.70% weaned lambs when they were 3 months old, 96.77% preferred natural breeding in lambs, % 80.42 of them feed their sheep as roughage with straw and 79.46% of them feed as concentrate feed with barley, 90.86% of them do not feed additional but add salt and minerals to the food, 90.32% of them prefer the free-insemination method, 80.75% first used rams for insemination when they were 2 years old, 88.65% kept the rams in the herd during estrus, and 72.59% bought an outside breeding ram every 2-3 years. As a result, it has been determined that there has been a slight decrease in the presence of sheep in Malatya province in the last 6 years, and there are some issues that need to be changed and improved in terms of quality and quantity in terms of breeding practices in enterprises. In addition to the structural measures to be taken to solve the problems and the social, technical and economic improvements to be realized, it is thought that increasing the training activities for the breeders will enable a more profitable, effective and successful breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to measure the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of four Iranian sheep breeds, namely; Ghezel, Makui, Kurdi and Baluchi (utilizing 20 animals per breed from both sexes) using 12 short tandem repeats markers. Our results demonstrated that the observed number of alleles and the median number of effective alleles for the Ghezel Makui, Kurdi, and Baluchi breeds were (50, 48, 44 and 43) and (2.49, 2.46, 2.45 and 2.47), respectively. Also, the mean Shannon Index was 0.982, 0.939, 0.965, and 0.959 values for Ghezel, Makui, Kurdi, and Baluchi breed, respectively. Moreover, the polymorphic information content (PIC) values were ranked from 0.09 (ILSTS011) to 0.75 (TGLA13). Additionally, the average inbreeding coefficient (FIS) was from 0.144 (Kurdi) to 0.306 (Makui). Furthermore, the lowest genetic distance was seen between Makui and Baluchi breeds (0.120), but the highest was between Ghezel and Kurdi breeds (0.884). The outcomes of this research showed the normal 'L'-shaped distribution of the mode-shift analysis test and the lack of bottleneck in the studied populations. On this basis, we conclude that the investigated Iranian sheep breeds carry reasonable within and between genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous breeds have a high level of genetic diversity that might contribute to develop animal breeds with desired traits such as disease resistance and high productivity. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a key component of adaptive immune system and consists of highly polymorphic genes that take part in adaptive immune response and disease resistance. Exploring and understanding the effect of polymorphisms in MHC could be beneficial to future animal breeding strategies. In this study, we sequenced the highly polymorphic Exon2 of the ovine DRB1 gene using Sanger sequencing to explore the diversity of this gene in six indigenous Turkish sheep breeds and two crossbreeds. In total, 894 haplotypes from 447 sheep were investigated, and 69 different haplotypes including 27 novel ones were identified. Among the identified haplotypes there were common and breed specific haplotypes. There was a relatively high diversity of the alleles within indigenous breeds. Allelic diversity patterns were mostly associated with geographical differences. The results of this study highlight the genetic variation within indigenous breeds which has important implications for biodiversity and the adaptability of breeds to specific environments. There is value to further studies which include other genomic regions and traits, and these could guide breeding strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to evaluate the comparative predictive performances of Classification and Regression trees (CART), Chi Squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) and Exhausted CHAID algorithms used to predict body weights of Awassi lambs at 60-d (W60) and 90-d (W90) of age. For this purpose, 730 Awassi lamb records were collected from 3 base flocks in Turkey in 2014-2016. The potential predictors included in this study were dam age, sex, birth type, flock, lambing season and birth year. In order to determine the best one among these decision tree algorithms, model evaluation criteria i.e RMSE, MAPE, RAE, SDratio, MAD, Pearson coefficient, Coefficient of determination (푅 2) and adjusted coefficient of variation (푅 2Adj) values were calculated. For the prediction of W60 and W90, the best decision tree algorithm was found to be the CART algorithm. 푅 2 for W60 and W90 were 0.614 and 0.978 and RMSE estimates for W60 and W90 were 0.94 and 0.321, respectively. The influential predictors affecting W90 were flock and W60. However, flock, birth weight (BW), birth type and birth year were found as significant factors for W60. In conclusion, CART algorithm may be a useful tool in describing breed standards of the Awassi for selection purposes in animal breeding. Also, it outperformed Exhausted CHAID and CHAID decision tree algorithms in predictive performance to predict W60 and W90 of Awassi lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assignment of an individual to the true population of origin is one of the most important applications of genomic data for practical use in animal breeding. The aim of this study was to develop a statistical method and then, to identify the minimum number of informative SNP markers from high-throughput genotyping data that would be able to trace the true breed of unknown samples in indigenous sheep breeds. The total numbers of 217 animals were genotyped using Illumina OvineSNP50K BeadChip in Zel, Lori-Bakhtiari, Afshari, Moqani, Qezel and a wild-type Iranian sheep breed. After SNP quality check, the principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine how the animals allocated to the groups using all genotyped markers. The results revealed that the first principal component (PC1) separated out the two domestic and wild sheep breeds, and all domestic breeds were separated from each other for PC2. The genetic distance between different breeds was calculated using FST and Reynold methods and the results showed that the breeds were well differentiated. A statistical method was developed using the stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA) and the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to reduce the number of SNPs for discriminating 6 different Iranian sheep populations and K-fold cross-validation technique was employed to evaluate the potential of a selected subset of SNPs in assignment success rate. The procedure selected reduced pools of markers into 201 SNPs that were able to exactly discriminate all sheep populations with 100% accuracy. Moreover, a discriminate analysis of principal components (DAPC) developed using 201 linearly independent SNPs revealed that these markers were able to assign all individuals into true breed. Finally, these 201 identified SNPs were successfully used in an independent out-group breed consisting of 96 samples of Baluchi sheep breed and the results indicated that these markers are able to correctly allocate all unknown samples to true population of origin. In general, the results of this study indicated that the combined use of the SDA and LDA techniques represents an efficient strategy for selecting a reduced pool of highly discriminant markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lacaune sheep breed was started to be recently imported and in small numbers on the Romanian territory, and the number of animals of this breed is still low, so, it was considered necessary to carry out a study on a sheep population from the NE area of the country, where a herd of 382 Lacaune sheep was imported from France. The aim of the paper was to study the adaptability of the breed in this area using prolificacy as its main criterion. The study was made in the period between 2020, September to 2021, April, including the 2020 September-October mating campaign and the 2021 February-March lambing campaign, the period in which the factors that could influence the reproductive indices were studied, but also the overall development of the flock. After the lambing period, the collected data were processed and it was concluded that the prolificacy index registered values that fall within the values recorded in the specialty literature and that are considered as standard values of the breed. There were 282 females studied, 186 of them lambed twins and out of this number, 48 of the females were primiparous and 138 were multiparous. In the studied farm, the prolificacy had values of 144,4% for primiparous and 179,3% for multiparous females, like as the specialty literature data, where the "Lacaune du lait" sheep breed has an average prolificacy of 145% in primiparous and 170% in multiparous. These data reveal that the breed has adapted well to the conditions in the area, not negatively influencing the prolificacy index, which indicates that animals of this breed can fully express their genetic potential and could even improve their performance if a good management is applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Community-Based Sheep Breeding Program (CBSBP) on gross profit and lamb mortality by comparing participated farms and non-participated farms by focusing on the case of Akkaraman breed in Nigde province of Turkey. The primary data were collected from 108 sheep farms, 54 farms participated and 54 farms those did not participate in the sheep breeding program. According to average treatment effect results derived by utilizing propensity score matching method, if all farms would participate to CBSBP, each farm acquired 6209.13 Turkish Lira (1094.92 USD) more gross profit and would be 3.47% less lamb mortality rate in the farms. The study indicated that CBSBP provided significant economic benefit and welfare of animal. Hence, further supporting and scaling up of community-based small ruminant breeding programs appears to be one of the best solutions for improving livestock genetic resources of rural communities in developing countries. Accordingly, incentive mechanisms for participating in breeding programs should be more focused on small-scale family farms and especially the young people in the rural area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research work was planned to study the prevalence of anoestrus in cattle in and around Jabalpur. A total of 157 cows reared under field conditions (76 from organized and 81 from unorganized) in different villages situated in Jabalpur during the period of six months (June to November 2021) were surveyed and calving and breeding history of animals provided by the dairy owners was recorded. Per-rectal examination of genitalia (cervix, uterus and ovary) was also done to know the reproductive status of the animals. The observations were recorded in a prescribed proforma. The cows with a history of not showing the signs of oestrus for 90 days or more postpartum were considered for the study of the prevalence of anoestrus. The prevalence of anoestrus in postpartum cows was 19.10 per cent (30/157). The prevalence of anoestrus in organised and unorganized dairy farm was recorded to be 15.78 and 22.22 per cent, respectively. Write a conclusion based on the findings. Good managemental practice as in organized dairy farms decrease the incidence of anoestrus in cows as compared to unorganized dairy farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Initial consequence of inbreeding is inbreeding depression which impairs the performance of growth, production, health, fertility and survival traits in different animal breeds and populations. The effect of inbreeding on economically important traits should be accurately estimated. The effect of inbreeding depression on growth traits in sheep has been reported in many breeds. Based on this, the main objective of the present research was to evaluate the impact of inbreeding on some growth traits of Iranian Baluchi sheep breed using quantile regression model. Methods: Pedigree and growth traits records of 13,633 Baluchi lambs born from year 1989 to 2016 were used in this research. The traits were birth weight, weaning weight, six-month weight, nine-month weight, and yearling weight. The contribution, inbreeding and co-ancestry software was used to calculate the pedigree statistics and inbreeding coefficients. To evaluate the impact of inbreeding on different quantiles of each growth trait, a series of quantile regression models were fitted using QUANTREG procedure of SAS software. Annual trend of inbreeding was also estimated fitting a simple linear regression of lamb's inbreeding coefficient on the birth year. Results: Average inbreeding coefficient of the population was 1.63 percent. Annual increase rate of inbreeding of the flock was 0.11 percent (p<0.01). The results showed that the effect of inbreeding in different quantiles of growth traits is not similar. Also, inbreeding affected differently on growth traits, considering lambs' sex and type of birth. Conclusion: Quantile regression revealed that inbreeding did not have similar effect on different quantiles of growth traits in Iranian Baluchi lambs indicating that at a given age and inbreeding coefficient, lambs with different sex and birth type were not equally influenced by inbreeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]