Productive indicators for Moldavian type of Tsigai sheep

Abstract

The research was carried out on the basic farm for the creation of the Moldavian type of Tsigai sheep for the wool, meat and dairy productivity of the Agricultural Production and Consumer Cooperative "Elita-Alexanderfeld", located in the Cahul district. The objective of the research was to compare morpho-productive indicators over two distinct periods: the initial stage following breed establishment (2007 - 2011) and the most recent five-year span (2020 - 2024). Key indicators assessed have included ewe fertility, weaned lamb evaluation scores based on live weight and wool length, bonitation of yearling ewes and yearling rams at 12 - 14 months of age, wool productivity and live weight of breeding rams and ewes of the main herd, and the productivity metrics of animals selected for the breeding group in comparison with the obtained productivity data in the period 2020 – 2024, with the initial period after the approval and receipt of the patent for the created Moldavian type of Tsigai sheep, 2007 – 2011. The fertility of ewes in the second period was 109.9%, which surpassed the first period by 1.2%. In the first period were weaned 1835 heads of ram lambs with live weight averaged 24.09 kg and 3087 heads of ewe lambs averaged 21.71 kg, in the second period, respectively, 1232 heads – 24.98 kg and 1 530 heads-22.52 kg. At the age of 12 - 14 months, 438 ram lambs were assessed in the first period and 97 in the second, where productivity indicators in the latter were significantly higher (P < 0.001). In terms of ewe lambs were assessed 1 243 heads in the first period and 1226 heads for the second period, where live weight and wool shearing in the second period were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.001 vs. P ≤ 0.05). The live weight of the sheep in the main herd was also high. In the first period of 2007 - 2011, 107 breeding rams, 4 185 ewes, 194 ram lambs and 660 ewe lambs were selected with a breeding intensity of 40.2%, 60.0%, 37.8% and 26.7%, respectively. In the second period of 2020 - 2024, there were 94 breeding rams, 1 669 ewes, 89 ram lambs and 781 ewe lambs with breeding intensity of 37.8%, 51.3%, 91.8% and 60.7%, respectively. These findings highlight the effectiveness of targeted selection and breeding strategies in improving the genetic and productive potential of the Moldavian Tsigai sheep population.