Characterization of sheep husbandry in the villages of Tufanbeyli county of Adana province

This study was conducted with the objective of characterizing the sheep husbandry in the villages of Tufanbeyli County of Adana Province. Kangal variety of Akkaraman breed was seen to be the only existing breed in the villages of Tufanbeyli. Various numbers of material were used for studying different aspects of characterzation: namely 446 ewes and 10 rams in the three villages for morphological characteristics; 488 ewes at mating season in the three villages for reproductive performance; 144 ewes in two flocks in Hanyeri Village for lactation characteristics; 83 female and 63 male lambs in the two flocks of Hanyeri village for growth performance. The coat colors of the ewes and rams were 97.3 and 100 % white respectively. All the ewes and the rams were found to be polled. The mean live weights and the heights at withers of the ewes and the rams were 69.0±0.4 kg, 73.4±0.2 cm and 89.2±3.3 kg 85.0±1.2 cm respectively. Body measurements of the ewes were found to be significantly different among the villages and age groups but were found to be similar in the rams. As far as reproductive performance criteria are concerned, infertility and twinning rates were calculated as 7.2 and 9.1% respectively. Mean daily lactation yield, lactation length, lactation milk yield and milked (marketable) yield were found to be 888.3±26.6 g, 166.9±1.5 days, 151.2±5.3 kg, 72.1±3.1 kg respectively. The highest milk yield was recorded in the five year old ewes. A very significant variation(47-360 kg) was observed among the Akkaraman ewes with respect to lactation yields. The lactation values ontained for Akkaraman were seen to be exceptionally higher than the previous findings. Mean birth weight, weaning weight(90 day standardized) and the daily gains until weaning were calculated as 4.3±0.1 kg, 22.0±0.2 kg and 199.7±2.3 g respectively. Sex and the type of birth were found to have significant effects. The variation determined among the lambs regarding growth performance was found to be insignificant.